title: Abnormal electrocardiographic findings in athletes: recognising changes suggestive of primary electrical disease.
abstract: Cardiac channelopathies are potentially lethal inherited arrhythmia syndromes and an important cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young athletes. Other cardiac rhythm and conduction disturbances also may indicate the presence of an underlying cardiac disorder. The 12-lead ECG is utilised as both a screening and a diagnostic tool for detecting conditions associated with SCD. Fundamental to the appropriate evaluation of athletes undergoing ECG is an understanding of the ECG findings that may indicate the presence of a pathological cardiac disease. This article describes ECG findings present in primary electrical diseases afflicting young athletes and outlines appropriate steps for further evaluation of these ECG abnormalities. The ECG findings defined as abnormal in athletes were established by an international consensus panel of experts in sports cardiology and sports medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA. jdrezner@uw.edu
authors.forename: Jonathan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Drezner
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ackerman
authors.forename: Bryan C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Cannon
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Corrado
authors.forename: Hein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Heidbuchel
authors.forename: Jordan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Prutkin
authors.forename: Jack C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Salerno
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Euan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ashley
authors.forename: Chad A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Asplund
authors.forename: Aaron L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Baggish
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Börjesson
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: DiFiori
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fischbach
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Froelicher
authors.forename: Kimberly G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Harmon
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marek
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Owens
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pelliccia
authors.forename: Christian M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Schmied
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Victoria L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Vetter
authors.forename: Mathew G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis*; D053447:Channelopathies / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000517:prevention & control; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology*