title: Sudden cardiac death in athletes: can it be prevented by screening?
abstract: In 1982, a nationwide program of preparticipation screening of all individuals embarking in competitive sports activity was launched in Italy. The screening protocol includes athlete's personal and family history, physical examination, and twelve-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) as first-line examination; additional tests such as echocardiography or exercise testing are requested only for subjects who have positive findings at the initial evaluation. This screening algorithm, which has been used for preparticipation evaluation of millions of Italian athletes over a period of > 25 years has provided adequate sensitivity and specificity for detection of athletes affected by potentially dangerous cardiomyopathy or arrhythmia at risk of athletic-field death and has led to substantial reduction of mortality of young competitive athletes (by approximately 90%), mostly by preventing sudden death from cardiomyopathy.
authors: Division of Cardiology, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua, Padova, Italy. domenico.corrado@unipd.it
authors: Domenico
authors: D
authors: Corrado
authors: Federico
authors: F
authors: Migliore
authors: Michela
authors: M
authors: Bevilacqua
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Basso
authors: Gaetano
authors: G
authors: Thiene
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D006334:Heart Function Tests / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D013177:Sports