Within the past 2 weeks, the news casts have been flooding with reports of teenagers dying at sporting events. There have been 4 deaths within 2 weeks. This is a lot. It may not seem like many in the grand scheme of things (especially with the Japan disaster), but it's especially scary to me. I work with teenage athletes on a daily basis. The cause of death for 2 of the 4 kids has been cardiac arrest due to an enlarged heart. This is a little more common than you'd think.
This is where I start to stand on my soap box, so bear with me. Sure, we may not know if the deaths could have been prevented, but I'm certain that a proper medical exam would have found abnormalities in these kid's hearts. As of right now, the physical examination to participate in high school athletics is pretty minimal. For college athletics, the physical exam is more intense. I believe the pre-participation physical exam should encompass cardiac testing as well as neuropsych testing for concussions. This should be mandatory for all high school, college, and professional athletes.
Also, I believe that a certified athletic trainer and/or physician should be present for all activities. This is hard for rural schools, but one death is one too many! Also, an automatic external defibrillator should be provided for the ATC and Dr in case of emergencies. The AED should be located close to the athletic facility. They should not be on one end of campus while the field is on the other. The first few minutes is critical to saving a life!
I am saddened by the deaths in the sporting community. These deaths are hard on all involved. A death of an athlete is my biggest fear, no one wants that on their watch. Thank God I have a great facility and administration.
If you would like to read the latest news article on the deaths, I have provided it here.
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