Poster Session I
Project Type
Poster
Project Funding and Affiliations
School of Integrative Physiology and Athletic Training
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Valerie Moody
Faculty Mentor’s Department
School of Integrative Physiology and Athletic Training
Abstract / Artist's Statement
ECG-integrated cardiac screenings serve as valuable tools, ensuring that athletes are healthy prior to the start of their competitive season. For sports that do not require these screenings or a standard physical, underlying cardiac conditions and abnormalities can often go unnoticed, leading to a higher risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) during athletic activity. The purpose of this pilot study was to identify its feasibility, identify the potential risk factors for SCA, clear athletes for athletic participation that did not exhibit risk factors, and refer athletes with abnormalities to a medical professional. This study included 30 high school hockey athletes who participated in cardiac screenings containing cardiac history, vitals, resting ECG, and a physical exam conducted by a physician. Participating athletes had various ages (mean: 14.5 ± 1.3), sexes (26 Male, 4 female), races (96.7% White), and ethnicities (28 not Hispanic, 2 Hispanic/Latino). A majority of these athletes participated in multiple sports (73.3%) and were physically active for greater than 5 hours per week (83.4%). The majority of athletes (70%) reported having a standard physical in the past 12 months, while the minority (30%) stated they had not. Cardiac history findings showed that a majority of these athletes were relatively healthy, exhibiting no signs of underlying cardiac conditions. However, study findings showed that a minority of athletes experienced exertional chest discomfort (26.7%), palpations with activity (13.3%), had a known personal cardiac diagnosis (3.3%), had prior cardiac testing requests (13.3%), had family history of a sudden/unexplained death (13.3%) or family history of a pacemaker/defibrillator installation (3.3%). When looking at physical exams and ECG findings within all 30 athletes, vital signs and physical exams were normal on average. ECG tracings were normal in 96.7% of the study participants, and 86.7% of athletes were cleared with no follow up. Of athletes who received referrals, 13.3% had family history risks, sinus arrhythmia, or blood pressure abnormalities. Based on our findings, the majority of the population seemed to be healthy when observing cardiovascular functionality. However, a small minority showed signs of cardiac abnormalities that could potentially cause SCA. The study demonstrates that it is essential to screen all athletes, due to the potential underlying conditions that could be present without being found.
Category
Health and Medical Science (do not choose)
Examining Cardiac Abnormalities in High School Athletes Through ECG-Integrated Cardiac Screenings
UC South Ballroom
ECG-integrated cardiac screenings serve as valuable tools, ensuring that athletes are healthy prior to the start of their competitive season. For sports that do not require these screenings or a standard physical, underlying cardiac conditions and abnormalities can often go unnoticed, leading to a higher risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) during athletic activity. The purpose of this pilot study was to identify its feasibility, identify the potential risk factors for SCA, clear athletes for athletic participation that did not exhibit risk factors, and refer athletes with abnormalities to a medical professional. This study included 30 high school hockey athletes who participated in cardiac screenings containing cardiac history, vitals, resting ECG, and a physical exam conducted by a physician. Participating athletes had various ages (mean: 14.5 ± 1.3), sexes (26 Male, 4 female), races (96.7% White), and ethnicities (28 not Hispanic, 2 Hispanic/Latino). A majority of these athletes participated in multiple sports (73.3%) and were physically active for greater than 5 hours per week (83.4%). The majority of athletes (70%) reported having a standard physical in the past 12 months, while the minority (30%) stated they had not. Cardiac history findings showed that a majority of these athletes were relatively healthy, exhibiting no signs of underlying cardiac conditions. However, study findings showed that a minority of athletes experienced exertional chest discomfort (26.7%), palpations with activity (13.3%), had a known personal cardiac diagnosis (3.3%), had prior cardiac testing requests (13.3%), had family history of a sudden/unexplained death (13.3%) or family history of a pacemaker/defibrillator installation (3.3%). When looking at physical exams and ECG findings within all 30 athletes, vital signs and physical exams were normal on average. ECG tracings were normal in 96.7% of the study participants, and 86.7% of athletes were cleared with no follow up. Of athletes who received referrals, 13.3% had family history risks, sinus arrhythmia, or blood pressure abnormalities. Based on our findings, the majority of the population seemed to be healthy when observing cardiovascular functionality. However, a small minority showed signs of cardiac abnormalities that could potentially cause SCA. The study demonstrates that it is essential to screen all athletes, due to the potential underlying conditions that could be present without being found.