A preparticipation physical evaluation (PPE), often referred to as a sports physical, can give you peace of mind your child is healthy and ready for their upcoming season. Since PPEs are required by the school board before your child can participate in school sports, you’ve likely already scheduled one. Good job, mom!
What you may not have considered, though, is scheduling an appointment for an electrocardiogram (ECG) as an additional screening tool for your child. You may even be surprised to learn that medical professionals at the state-level are starting to look at the need for mandatory ECGs to protect student athletes from serious harm—especially with the recent increase of sudden collapses on the field.
Learn more about how these important tests can safeguard your child and discover where you can find convenient and affordable access to them.
What is an ECG?
An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is a test that monitors the heart’s electrical activity. That means, they can see how the heart pumps blood and find underlying cardiac issues like irregular heartbeats or arrhythmias before they become dangerous.
What happens during an ECG?
ECGs are painless: They simply involve placing sticker electrodes on your child’s chest, arms and legs. These electrodes are then connected to a monitoring device that picks up the electrical signals that happen every time your child’s heart beats. During the test, no electricity will pass through your child’s body. In fact, they won’t feel anything at all.
For the purposes of clearing your child for sport’s participation, a resting ECG is likely all you’ll need. This means your child’s heart activity will be measured when he or she is at rest. If more information is needed however, we may also recommend an exercise ECG which allows them to monitor heart rate and rhythm while exercising (usually on a treadmill). No preparation is required.
Why are ECGs Important for student athletes?
While sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes is rare, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it’s the leading cause of death during sports participation. With so much at stake, ECGs offer a fast and easy way to identify potentially life-threatening heart conditions that could be triggered by rigorous physical activity—ones that can’t be detected during a physical exam, like cardiomyopathy, myocarditis (inflammation from a viral infection), Long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
This test may be more crucial for young athletes who are engaging in this level of competitive activity.
With an ECG, we can gain crucial insights into your child’s heart health, including:
- How fast or slow their heart is beating
- If their heartbeat is steady or irregular
- If there is any thickening to the heart muscle
- A predisposition to lethal arrhythmias
The ECG test is very fast: In less than five minutes, we’ll have enough information to either approve your child’s participation or decide that further studies of their heart is required.
How often should student athletes have ECGs?
While it's best to have sports physicals yearly, it isn’t necessary to have an ECG as often. But given the major physical changes a young athlete can experience, some experts recommend ECG screening as part of your child’s sports physical every two years.
Don’t Play Games With Your Child’s Heart
AdventHealth for Children is pleased to offer convenient and affordable ECG screenings for student athletes in Hillsborough County. Available year-round through Anjlee Patel, MD, $15 ECGs can give you a baseline for your child’s heart rate and rhythm—and peace of mind.
Dr. Patel will review all ECG results and if additional testing is needed, is available for follow-up appointments. One quick screening can give you a better picture of your child’s heart health. Schedule an ECG at your young athlete’s next physical.
About Dr. Patel
Anjlee Patel, MD, is a board-certified pediatric and adult congenital cardiologist. She specializes in diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart disease and arrhythmias for adults and children, as well as fetal cardiac care.
