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ECG CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUNG HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA

Abstract

Ludmila Cosio Lima, FACSM, Lauren Adlof, Anthony Farmand, Youngil Lee, Benny Segovia-Ruiz. University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL.

BACKGROUND: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young athletes is a rare but tragic occurrence. A Preparticipation Physical Examination (PPE) is widely used to identify those athletes who might be at risk of SCD during sports participation. High school athletes in, Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties in Florida undergo annual sports physicals through a local sports medicine outreach program. Resting electrocardiogram (ECG) screening was implemented for the first time during the 2022 program PPE. The purpose of this study was to report the ECG abnormalities found in young athletes during a single day of PPE including resting ECG screening. METHODS: 1,357 high school athletes (males = 879; females = 478, age 15.09+1.3y) completed a resting 12-lead ECG screening, which was read and interpreted by Adult cardiologists using the International Criteria and then referred to Pediatric cardiologists for final clearance. RESULTS: Twenty-three ECGs (3%) were classified as ‘abnormal’ and referred to pediatric cardiologists for further testing. Of these, ten athletes were cleared by pediatric cardiologists to participate in sports. Four athletes are waiting to be evaluated and six athletes declined further evaluation. Three athletes, all males, were not cleared for sports participation. Of these, two athletes presented with Wolf-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome (0.15%) and one athlete (0.10%) presented with dilated cardiomyopathy. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of ECG screening during a one-day PPE is a valuable best practice, and effective in the detection of cardiac abnormalities in high school athletes. To our knowledge, this is the highest number of athletes screened in one day nationwide.

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