OBJECTIVE In the USA, the preparticipation physical evaluation (PPE) is the standard of care for screening eight million high-school athletes for their risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Our aim was to evaluate both physician and school compliance with national guidelines for SCD screening. METHODS We conducted a confidential survey of the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediat...

OBJECTIVE To review the available evidence establishing the validity of adding electrocardiogram to the preparticipation cardiac screening in athletes. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE and CINAHL databases were searched. Additional references from the bibliographies of retrieved articles were also reviewed and experts in the area were contacted. SELECTION CRITERIA Only original research articles seekin...

A 20-year-old soccer player died suddenly while watching a game with friends at home. At annual preparticipation screening, ECG was normal with consequent sport eligibility (Figure 1A). History for juvenile sudden death and hyper-trophic cardiomyopathy was reported on the mother's side of the family. Postmortem examination of the heart showed normal dimensions (weight, 347 g; wall thicknesses o...

Qatar, with its wide blue sky and searing desert sands, is not a location that clinicians and academics might immediately associate with cutting-edge sports cardiology. However, Aspetar Hospital is a very active unit, addressing key questions of both international and regional importance. As highlighted in this issue of BJSM, there are a large number of academic and clinical challenges within s...

BACKGROUND Although most experts agree that preparticipation screening is important to prevent sudden cardiac death in sport, only a few reports have been published on the feasibility of its practical implementation. METHODS The football associations participating in the U-17 and U-20 Women's World Cups 2010 were asked to perform a standardised precompetition medical assessment (PCMA) of thei...

The sudden death of a young athlete during competition is a tragic yet rare occurrence that results in significant public and media attention. Increased catecholamine response to maximum stress in subjects with underlying structural heart disease is a well-known cause of lethal cardiac arrhythmias.1 In 1996, the American Heart Association issued a scientific statement advocating universal cardi...

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) remains a tragic occurrence on the football field. The limits of preparticipation cardiovascular screening make it compulsory that prearranged emergency medical services be available at all football matches to immediately respond to any collapsed player. Management of SCA involves prompt recognition, immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and early defibrillat...