Statistics show that hundreds of young athletes collapse while playing sports every year, and most of those cases involve some type of previously undiagnosed heart condition.

Any young athlete can have a sudden cardiac arrest. In these incidents, the person may stop breathing, become unresponsive and exhibit no detectable pulse. Unlike a heart attack, where a loss of blood supply causes the heart muscle to become dysfunctional, a sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the body's electrical system is interrupted. Impulses to the heart are not able to form an organized beat, which may cause the heart to beat erratically or stop altogether.

Strenuous physical activity is thought to trigger this type of episode. Most collapses occur suddenly, but there can be observable warning signs, such as:

• Fainting during exertion
• Difficulty breathing with exertion
• Chest pain/discomfort with exertion
• Fast or irregular heartbeats
• Family history of Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) or enlarged or thickened heart in young family members

Heart screenings
To prevent an unexpected collapse, the American Heart Association recommends that young athletes get a thorough cardiac screening. Comprehensive heart screenings are a growing trend in youth athletics, and may include a pre-season screening along with a complete physical and a mandatory family health history report. These types of screenings would be repeated every two years for high school and college athletes.

“The most comprehensive heart evaluations for young athletes include a resting electrocardiogram (ECG), 24-hour ECG monitoring, exercise stress testing, an echocardiogram or combinations of all of these procedures,” said Dr. William Scott, chief of Cardiology at Children’s Medical Center Dallas and professor of Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “We perform ECGs to create a baseline of health, which in turn is used to create an accurate heart-health history. It is imperative that all tests are conducted and interpreted accurately.”

Current studies show that approximately 10 percent of all athletes screened will require further evaluation – with a much smaller percentage showing actual, significant heart problems.

Key to survival: AEDs
Studies show that 70 percent of all sudden cardiac arrest victims who survive had an early intervention with an automated external defibrillator – a small, portable machine that can administer a life-saving electric shock to the victim's heart.

Recognizing this, the State of Texas recently passed the most comprehensive AED bill in the country, requiring virtually all schools to have an AED on campus and a staff member trained to use it.

When enrolling your child in a sports program, check with your child's school or athletic association to make sure they have AEDs, and that the devices are easily accessible at all times.

The one for heart health
Children’s is the only pediatric hospital in North Texas with an accredited pediatric echocardiography lab.

The Heart Center at Children’s offers Cardiovascular Assessments for children involved in school athletic programs, after-school sports and sports organizations. Children's is an ongoing sponsor of injury prevention and sports healthcare clinics in the North Dallas community. Cardiac evaluations for patients are available at both the Dallas campus or in Plano, at the Ambulatory Care Pavilion Legacy. For more information on cardiac evaluation for sports participation, call 214-456-6419.

Resources:
Children's Medical Center Dallas
Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation
American Heart Association
Texas Heart Institute 
National Registry for AED Use In Sports