screening for sudden cardiac arrest

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warning signs

Talk to your young athlete about signs of potential health problems. If he or she experiences these warning signs during or just after athletic events, seek a doctor’s help immediately.

• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Headaches or light-headedness
• Extreme dehydration
• Total fatigue
  

New Screening Questions
The American Heart Association recently published updated recommendations for screening competitive athletes. According to the guidelines, screenings should include the following 12 personal and family health history topics, which could help identify potential cardiovascular concerns in time to prevent major problems.

Personal History

• Chest pain/discomfort upon exertion
• Unexplained fainting or near-fainting
• Excessive and unexplained fatigue associated with exercise
• Heart murmur
• High blood pressure

Family History

• One or more relatives who died of heart disease (sudden/unexpected or otherwise) before age 50
• Close relative under age 50 with disability from heart disease
• Specific knowledge of certain cardiac conditions in family members: hypertrophic or dilated cardiomyopathy, in which the heart cavity or wall becomes enlarged; long QT syndrome, which affects the heart’s electrical rhythm; Marfan syndrome, in which the walls of the heart’s major arteries are weakened; or clinically important arrhythmias or heart rhythms

Physical Examination

• Heart murmur
• Femoral pulses to exclude narrowing of the aorta
• Physical appearance of Marfan syndrome
• Brachial artery blood pressure (taken in a sitting position)