So his kids get settled into class this week, many of them will be trying out for sports
at their school. I know my
daughter has volleyball tryouts
today and parents you need to
though be aware of the
health danger sudden cardiac
death is the leading killer
among
student athlete. Bob set check
is director of the sports
additional sports medicine
program he’s joining us now to
explain what causes this and
also warning signs. Bob good
morning to thank you for being
here do appreciate it.
First of all on what is sudden
cardiac death.
>> Sudden cardiac death is is
cardiac
and it’s generally caused by an
electrical disturbance in the
heart something goes wrong with
the electricity of the heart so
a lot of times people don’t
quite understand heart attack
and cardiac arrest
and it’s not that young kids
are having heart attacks.
They’re having card after a
something goes wrong with the
electricity versus the plumbing
of the heart.
>> So with their hands
necessarily been some kind of
warning sign men too.
You know let this student or
their parent know that that
this may be something that
puts their child at risk that
they have this condition, the
scary thing is sometimes
there’s no warning sign at all
but uh.
>> Other times we can pick up
on some subtle signs and
symptoms that could be feeling
dizzy. Feeling light
headed fainting at times maybe
not being able to keep up with
your peers that are running
some sprints and things like
that, I’m just not feeling
right weather could be
rapid heart some kind of weird
symptoms that are going on like
that that would be a yellow
flag for some for the kids to
talk to their parents or their
doctors about and it’s
interesting because you could
see how a kid.
>> Who wants to try out for
that team or make that team
might not share that
information because they think
well maybe just heater may be
visited hydrate enough
which is why it’s so important
parents had this conversation
with the Absolutely you just
like concussion to these
cardiac symptoms, you know
kids.
>> Made just feel that they’re
normal. Some of the kids may be
going out for sports. The first
time in May I ever
exactly exerted as much
stresses the goes into
athletics nowadays.
>> So I know that every year on
you know Jackson was words
medicine is involved in this
program that helps
give us basically sports
physicals connect these local
students then with health care
providers to offer them these
physicals and I was shocked
when you told me just a few
minutes ago of the 455.
That you conducted you actually
offer these kids ekgs
>> we do our annual sports
screening program and through a
partnership we had this year
was safe to eat.
An organization that came in
and did EKG is we offer the
cage
on everyone. So we did about
455 ekgs but surprisingly 81
had some findings on it that
needed some further follow-up.
>> And what’s interesting about
that. Also is is that that’s
not typically on when I took
both my kids to get their
sports physicals my doctor, my
pediatrician and I’m not being
critical of my pediatrician by
any means they don’t typically
though given EKG to a child
because you think perhaps
they’re too young, they’re
healthy what you have to worry
about them having
cardiac problem.
>> Well ekgs are are are not
very sensitive so they do
produce a lot of false
positives so out of that 81.
We had only about 9 that were
withheld from sports and since
those numbers are since those
kids went to their physicians.
They were further cleared so
sometimes that causes some
alarm but sometimes it does
pick up on on some significant
findings as you know we’ve had
in the past kids that we found
that ended up actually going in
for heart surgery.
>> Better safe than sorry right
as a parent, you know you love
your kids you don’t want
anything to happen which is why
it’s also
very important that to make
sure is apparent that you have
a conversation with your coach.
If your child’s coach and make
sure that you encourage that
coach to talk with your child
particularly they will talk to
you about any warning signs
that they might be you know
experiencing so that at
something bad like said cardiac
that does not happen.
>> Bob thank you so much for
being here I really appreciate
it. The also the importance of
having a e D
CPR trained at you know the
coaches as well another
question to ask your cheer
students coach are you CPR
trained where is the a e D in
does everyone who was at
practice where everyone who’s
at that game know where the A D