UNIFORMITY OF FORMS USED TO SCREEN HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES FOR HEART DISEASE1547

Abstract

A nationwide mail survey was conducted to determine the percentage of medical history forms used in high school pre-participation evaluations which contain questions about cardiac symptoms with exercise (chest pain, shortness of breath, syncope or pre-syncope) and family history of sudden death or early myocardial infarction. The survey was conducted so that all states would be equally represented on a population basis. Five-hundred surveys were mailed to high school athletic trainers around the country. The surveys instructed trainers to return by mail or FAX a copy of the medical history form used for screening their athletes. A representative sample of 90 medical history forms was obtained. Only 51% of those forms were deemed adequate (i.e. contained questions about both exercise related symptoms and family cardiac history). The proportion of schools using an adequate medical history form was no different between schools which had the regular services of a team physician and those which did not. Despite extensive publicity and education which has occurred regarding medical history findings related to occult causes of sudden death in young athletes, many high schools still do not use medical history forms which screen for these findings. Having the regular services of a team physician does not appear to help in this regard.