Addition of the Electrocardiogram to the Preparticipation Examination of College Athletes

Abstract

Mass ECG screening is achievable within the collegiate setting by using volunteers when the appropriate equipment is available. However, the rate of secondary testing suggests the need for an evaluation of cost-effectiveness for mass screening and the development of new athlete-specific ECG interpretation algorithms.

Prevalence and significance of isolated T wave inversion in 1755 consecutive American collegiate athletes

“…There is limited data regarding gender differences related to the prevalence of TWI without a consistent pattern, though the majority of studies have noted a higher prevalence in men [23,[29][30][31].…”

Physical Examination and Electrocardiographic Findings in Young Subjects – Are They Predictive of Echocardiographic Findings

“…It is more doubtful which screening method should be used. ECG has the potential to identify certain conditions not identified by history taking and physical examination alone, but its cost-effectiveness is debatable [13][14][15] . Screening echocardiography for such purposes is not routinely performed in most centers because of its high cost and the relatively low rate of significant findings [6] .…”

Making or Breaking Athletic Careers

“…This, however, is not feasible at present, but likely will be in the future. At present, cardiologists who evaluate athletes should be familiar with the normal variants in echocardiography and ECG results (17)(18)(19) and should incorporate the 12 questions posed by the American Heart Association (20) for screening so that young athletes are not disqualified based on variant ECG results or normal cardiac adaptations to exercise.…”