September 02, 2011
Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Athletes
Debra A. Loggia
Labor Day marks the end of summer and the start of a new school year with all the excitement and anxiety that entails for both kids and parents.
The return of school also means the resumption of sports. It is one of the great joys of the fall to see enthusiastic student athletes outside competing and hopefully having lots of fun. Sadly that fun sometimes turns to public tragedy when a young athlete collapses and dies.
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the number one killer of young athletes. Each year thousands of kids die from this condition ranging from infants to adolescents. Most of the time, children who experience sudden cardiac arrest will faint or collapse while playing sports.
And at least some of those tragedies could be avoided with better awareness and education for student athletes, parent, coaches and school officials. Often there are warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest that go unheeded. Often these students continue to practice or play after experiencing fainting, difficulty breathing, chest pains, dizziness and/or racing heart rate.
“We need to make as many parents, coaches and athletic directors as possible—as well as the community—aware of the risk symptoms (fainting, chest pain and heart palpitations) and factors for sudden cardiac death in children,” said David Shipon, MD, FACC, a cardiologist in Jefferson’s Division of Cardiology. “They need to feel empowered to tell children to seek help. Student athletes are at greatest risk.”
Dr. Shipon was speaking at a press conference on Jefferson’s Center City Campus to push for the passage of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Prevention Act in Pennsylvania. The bill was introduced this year by state Rep. Michael Vereb at the urging of Darren and Phyllis Sudman, parents who lost their son Simon when he was three months old from SCD.
While the Sudmans can’t bring their son back, they have created Simon’s Fund, a not-for-profit organization that through free school screenings, research sponsorships, parent education and fun kid’s events can help save the lives of other children.
Shipon’s colleague Dr. Reginald Ho, clinical assistant professor of cardiology at Jefferson added that “these deaths are so tragic, taking young people before their lives really get going. We have the potential to save many young lives through screening and by creating systems for organized sports to catch young people who might be prone to sudden cardiac death.” As a parent, if your child is involved in athletics there are some important steps you can take to help prevent the devastating loss that too many parents experience each year:
1. Know the Warning Signs.
- Fainting (or syncope) is the most common symptom. These events are not normal and you should not assume that your child is simply tired or dehydrated. Fainting usually occurs during or immediately after physical activity, or as a result of emotional excitement/distress/surprise, like during your child’s soccer game.
- Shortness of breath.
- The unexplained death of a family member under the age of 50.
2. Get Diagnosed
- For most children, an electrocardiogram (EKG), evaluated by a cardiologist, is the first step to diagnose a problem with the heart.
- An echocardiogram (ECHO) is the next logical step.
3. Learn About Treatment Options
- Most children can be treated with medication called beta blockers.
- More severe cases are treated by a pacemaker, implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or corrective surgery.
4. Protect Your Kids
- Talk to your pediatrician, school faculty and coaches about the warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest.
- If your child faints, get an EKG and consult with a cardiologist.
- Figure out if anyone in your family has ever fainted or died suddenly before the age of 50. If so, talk to your pediatrician.
- Learn more about early childhood EKG screenings. A study conducted in Italy found that screening young athletes decreased the number of deaths from sudden cardiac arrest by 89 percent.