Preparticipation cardiovascular screening: toward a national standard

In the absence of a national requirement for cardiovascular screening of competitive high school and college athletes, some physicians have been vulnerable to lawsuits in the wake of sudden cardiac deaths in athletes. The American Heart Association recently recommended routine cardiovascular screening for athletes and a specific screening protocol. To best serve the athletes and their healthcare providers, the author suggests that national sports governing organizations should make cardiovascular screening a national requirement in preparticipation evaluations.