Preparticipation cardiovascular screening for US collegiate student-athletes

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Sports Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Sudden death in young athletes is a concern, increasing the need for effective preparticipation screening.
• Cardiovascular diseases are a primary cause of sudden death in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the current practices of preparticipation screening for detecting potentially lethal cardiovascular diseases in college student-athletes.
• To assess the adequacy of screening forms used by National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) institutions.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted among 1110 NCAA member colleges and universities, with 879 (79%) responding.
• Screening practices and forms were evaluated against the 1996 American Heart Association (AHA) consensus panel guidelines.
• Data were collected from team physicians or athletic directors regarding screening administration and scope.

Main Results:

• Preparticipation screening was required by 97% of responding schools, with 81% performing it on campus.
• Only 26% of analyzed screening forms met at least 9 of the 12 recommended AHA guidelines; 24% were considered inadequate (≤4 guidelines).
• Inadequate screening forms were more common in smaller Division III schools compared to larger Division I schools (30% vs 14%).
• Key omissions from over 40% of forms included exertional chest pain, family history of premature sudden death, and Marfan syndrome indicators.

Conclusions:

• Current preparticipation screening processes in many US colleges may be insufficient to detect cardiovascular abnormalities that can lead to sudden death in student-athletes.
• There is a need to improve the comprehensiveness and standardization of screening protocols to better identify at-risk individuals.