September 10, 2003New England Journal of Medicine1,399 citations
View Full PaperSudden Death in Young Athletes
Structured PICO
Does screening and sidelining young athletes with high-risk cardiac findings reduce sudden death from cardiac causes?
P
Population
Young athletes
I
Intervention
Screening and sidelining young athletes with high-risk cardiac findings
O
Outcome
Sudden death from cardiac causeshard clinical
Indirect evidence supports the practice of screening and sidelining young athletes with high-risk cardiac findings to prevent sudden cardiac death.
Abstract
This article summarizes the available information regarding the cardiac risks of participation in athletics. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy remains the leading cause of sudden death from cardiac causes among young athletes. Although controlled studies are lacking, there is indirect evidence to suggest that screening and sidelining young athletes with high-risk cardiac findings are justified and should decrease the number of sudden deaths in this population.