- EKG’s, are a valuable test when performed on adults, however, are only useful for diagnosing electrical heart abnormalities in youth.
- A normal EKG does not exclude you from having a serious heart condition.
- 1 out of 10 EKG screenings will miss important conditions like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association
- Those that rely on EKG’s as the primary source of screening youth are typically looking for as few as 3 obvious conditions associated with sudden death, HCM, WPW, and Long-QT.
- In terms of HCM, the single most common cause of athletic field deaths, there is particular concern about relying on a single screening ECG obtained at a single point in time to exclude this disease. Circulation. 2014;130:1303-1334
- EKG’s will only assist in picking up 57% of the issues that cause sudden death and echo is needed to confirm 45% of those. Circulation. 2007;115:1643-1655
- There are at least 18 distinct types of congenital heart defects, with as many as 40 anatomic variations. American Heart Association
- Fifteen percent (15%) of Congenital heart defects are considered to be a direct cause of genetics. Centers for Disease Control
- The false positive/negative rate is between 6 to 30% depending on the expertise of the physician assisting with interpretation. AMSSM Position Statement on Cardiovascular Preparticipation Screening in Athletes: Current Evidence, Knowledge Gaps, Recommendations, and
Future Directions. 09.2016
- The second leading cause of sudden death (anomalous coronary artery) is not detectable with EKG. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Volume 35, Issue 6, May 2000, Pages 1493–1501
- EKG’s can miss potentially, dangerous structural heart conditions, like valve abnormalities and septal defects. Circulation. 2014;130:1303-1334
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