title: Prevalence of Cardiac Arrhythmia Under Stress Conditions in Occupational Health Assessments of Young Military Servicemen and Servicewomen.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In health assessments of young temporary-career volunteers who are up for re-enlistment, cardiac stress tests are mandatory to detect cardiac diseases and to confirm physical fitness. So far, there is no information available regarding the extent to which this time-consuming examination contributes to the diagnosis of pathological cardiac arrhythmia in this young, preselected patient collective.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a retrospective data analysis, health assessments of 1919 temporary-career volunteers conducted between 2007 and 2012 were examined with regard to pathological findings provided by resting electrocardiograms (ECGs) and exercise ECGs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only five subjects showed signs of heart disease during the resting ECG; none of the exercise ECGs revealed any abnormalities, even after further cardiological examinations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In health assessments of young temporary-career volunteers, the exercise ECG as a mandatory examination should be replaced by the resting ECG. In addition to avoiding unnecessary examinations and associated risks, quite a large number of working years could be saved both for medical personnel and the persons examined.
authors.affiliation: Bundeswehr Joint Medical Service Headquarters, Section Military Medical Research, Andernacher Strasse 100, 56070 Koblenz, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sammito
authors.affiliation: Bundeswehr Medical Clinic Rotenburg, Rothenburg, Am Luhner Holze 39 C1, Lent-Kaserne, 27356 Rotenburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gundlach
authors.affiliation: Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg, Leipziger Strasse 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Böckelmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008887:Military Medicine; D008889:Military Personnel; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult