Cardiovascular Clearance for Sports Participation

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in a young athlete is a rare but tragic occurrence. The goal of this article is to provide information about the risks of sudden cardiac death in athletes by reviewing the epidemiology and describing the current screening recommendations of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology. ¹ The specifics of and reasons for differences between screening guidelines in the United States and the screening guidelines in Europe are highlighted. Electrocardiogram (ECG) changes that can be expected in the setting of conditioning vs pathology are described. Intrinsic cardiac pathologies and disorders, with related cardiac findings, are reviewed, including prevalence and inheritance patterns. Also included is a brief medical-legal discussion about physician liability in the course of making sports clearance decisions. In an area in which there is no single national standard but in which there is an expectation by almost all states for a clearance examination, this article aims to help physicians make thoughtful decisions when evaluating a seemingly healthy patient in order to detect those rare athletes who may be at increased risk of succumbing to a sudden cardiac death during sports participation. ²¹.