How to Screen for Sudden Cardiac Death

Sudden cardiac death is a condition caused by an underlying heart condition that is triggered when an athlete exerts himself. Many cases of sudden cardiac death occur without the athlete having any knowledge of a heart defect. Screenings to detect an increased risk of sudden death are being used in an attempt to stop these deaths from happening without warning on courts and fields across the country. While the likelihood of this devastating condition occurring is small, it does happen. For this reason, physicians are implementing more screenings to detect a risk of sudden cardiac death in athletes.

Instructions

• 1

  Perform a history and physical on all potential athletes. A history that checks to see if any other family members have suffered from heart disease, genetic disorders or congenital heart defects is a first step in determining the risk of sudden cardiac death.

• 2

  Check for blood pressure abnormalities. High blood pressure is an indicator of a possible cardiovascular problem, especially in young people. Low blood pressure may also indicate health issues that increase cardiac risk factors.

• 3

  Use an EKG to screen athletes for the risk of sudden cardiac death. The EKG will diagnose any electrical defects in the heart. Abnormal electrocardiograms serve as a red flag in identifying those at increased risk.

• 4

  Do an echocardiogram on those who have any risk factors for sudden cardiac death. An echocardiogram is essentially an ultrasound of the heart. Unknown physical defects are identified through this test, as well as ejection fraction, which calculates the effectiveness of each contraction of the heart muscle.

• 5

  Have lab studies performed on an athlete. Specific tests that are helpful in determining the risk of sudden cardiac death include thyroid screening, electrolytes, quantitative drug levels and toxicology screenings.