Huntington
Hospital, Electrophysiology Nurse Practitioners
of Long Island Partner to Provide Free EKG
Screenings to High School Athletes
With
the goal of "saving just one life, preventing
even one cardiac death in a high school athlete,"
heart rhythm specialists at Huntington Hospital
have partnered with the Electrophysiology Nurse
Practitioners of Long Island (EPNP) to provide
free electrocardiogram (EKG) screenings to high
school athletes.
Pre-participation
cardiac screenings for athletes are recommended
by a variety of professional organizations, including
the American Heart Association and the American
College of Cardiology. EKG is a non-invasive means
for detecting potentially fatal cardiac abnormalities,
including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the condition
that William Floyd High School senior Corey Stark
had been diagnosed with at age 12. The youngster
collapsed and died during a club rugby team practice
on Tuesday.
"Sudden death during
sport is often the first and tragic manifestation
of underlying cardiovascular disease," said Huntington
Hospital electrophysiologist Kent Stephenson,
MD. He noted that most cardiovascular conditions
leading to sudden cardiac death have no warning
symptoms. Although there are no national guidelines
that recommend that EKGs be routinely performed
on high school athletes, a study of the practice
in Italy found a 90% reduction in sudden cardiac
deaths. "The EKG is a simple, easily performed
non-invasive tool," he said.
"If we can prevent
even one athlete from collapsing on the field,
we will have achieved our goal in launching this
initiative," said Huntington Hospital's Carol
Patrick, ACNP, who is coordinating the project.
Routine EKG screening
of student athletes on Long Island is a rarity.
Schneider Children's Hospital in New Hyde Park,
which like Huntington Hospital is a member of
the North Shore-LIJ Health System, provides screenings
at select area high schools.
Through the program,
Huntington Hospital and EPNP will bring EKG machines
and personnel to participating high schools across
Long Island. Any student with parental consent
will have the opportunity to have an EKG. Test
results will be provided to the parents as well
as the child's primary care physician. Interested
school districts may contact Carol Patrick at
(631) 351-2675. |
