Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Youth Athletes: Successful Screening With Point-of-Care Ultrasound by Medical Students

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Education
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a dangerous genetic cardiovascular disease.
• It often goes undetected in young athletes, as traditional screening methods are unreliable.
• Early detection is crucial for preventing sudden cardiac events.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of medical student volunteers in screening young athletes for HCM using ultrasound.
• To determine if point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can be a viable screening tool for HCM in this population.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study enrolled 2332 young athletes from high schools and colleges.
• Trained medical students performed POCUS screenings for HCM.
• Screenings were reviewed by a pediatric cardiologist; a septum-to-posterior-wall ratio > 1.25 indicated a positive screen.

Main Results:

• 137 athletes (5.8%) had a positive HCM screen.
• 7 athletes (5.1% of those with positive screens) were confirmed to have HCM.
• The screening demonstrated 100% sensitivity for detecting HCM in the positive cohort.

Conclusions:

• Medical students, with minimal training, can effectively use POCUS to screen young athletes for HCM.
• POCUS represents a promising tool for early detection of HCM in athletic populations.
• This strategy can help identify at-risk individuals for this serious cardiovascular condition.