title: Clinical Inquiry: should preparticipation physicals for school-aged athletes include routine EKGs?
abstract: Probably not. Although some European and international experts recommend that all athletes undergo preparticipation electrocardiogram (EKG) screening, it's unclear whether screening reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD); US experts don't recommend it routinely for school-aged athletes.
authors.affiliation: Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Family Medicine Residency at Capital Health, Trenton, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Remde
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Calabretta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D056352:Athletes; D002648:Child; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013178:Sports Medicine / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures