Perspectives on pre-participation cardiovascular screening in young competitive athletes: U SPORTS

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To investigate the pre-participation cardiovascular screening (PPS) protocols currently implemented at U SPORTS (the governing body of university sport in Canada) sanctioned schools as well as the attitudes toward PPS as reported by Canadian University medical and athletic personnel.

Methods: A 15-question survey was sent to the U SPORTS athletic directors in both French and English. The survey focused on the current practices of PPS within the respondents’ universities as well as attitudes regarding PPS. Athletic directors distributed the instructions to participate in the voluntary survey at their own discretion to coaches, athletic therapists, physicians, and associated personnel working within U SPORTS-sanctioned schools.

Results: Twenty-three athletic therapists, 12 coaches, 6 physicians, and 5 associated personnel completed the survey (46 in total). Half of the respondents (52%) reported that some form of PPS was conducted at their institution. Eighty percent of respondents agreed with the implementation of mandatory PPS, and 60% reported that they believe their athletes have a neutral attitude toward PPS. Three respondents documented having witnessed an athlete’s sudden cardiac arrest/death.

Conclusion: Members of the athletic care teams at U SPORTS-sanctioned schools display an overall positive attitude toward the implementation of mandatory PPS. Based on concerns raised by survey respondents, PPS procedures would need to be developed in a time- and cost-effective manner if PPS were to be expanded.

KEYWORDS:

• Cardiology
• athletes
• sports medicine
• preventative medicine
• diagnostic techniques
• young adult
• sudden cardiac death

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the ongoing collaboration with U SPORTS, specifically former Program Manager Sheila-Anne Newton, in data collection and survey distribution.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data can be accessed here.

Additional information

Funding

This manuscript was not funded.