Type of Submission
Poster
Keywords
Preparticipation, cardiovascular screening, electrocardiogram
Abstract
Preparticipation cardiovascular screenings are a key method of injury prevention utilized in athletic training and sports medicine. Much research is available to describe the key components of a cardiovascular screening, but not much research has been conducted regarding the current clinical practices of this idealized screening model. The primary purpose of this study was to describe the current cardiovascular screening practices of clinicians in high school, collegiate, and professional athletic settings. The secondary purpose was to evaluate whether or not current cardiovascular screening practices align with the current, evidence-based recommendations regarding cardiovascular screening practices. Surveys were sent to certified athletic trainers who perform cardiovascular screenings in a variety of settings. The survey contained questions regarding demographics and specific questions about the subject’s preparticipation cardiovascular screening. The survey closed after 8 days and the 17 respondents’ responses were analyzed. Three One-Way ANOVAs were conducted. The priori alpha level was set at p < 0.05. Results found significant differences between job setting and last update to the clinician’s screening (p = 0.023) and between job setting and the 14 preparticipation screening questions/tests (for 2 of the questions/tests). The 2 questions/tests that had significant differences were inquiring about shortness of breath and fatigue with exercise (p = 0.046) and requiring parental verification of past medical and family history (p = 0.009). We concluded that the current clinical practices or preparticipation cardiovascular screenings in high school, collegiate, and professional athletic settings are not completely compliant with the current, evidence-based recommendations regarding cardiovascular screening practices. Mainly this noncompliance is due to the inconsistent performance of special testing during the physical examination portion of the preparticipation cardiovascular screening. Clinically, these results indicate that clinicians need to update their preparticipation cardiovascular screening to meet the current recommendations and follow their updated screening requirements without omitting steps.
Faculty Sponsor or Advisor’s Name
Elizabeth Sled & Michael Weller
Campus Venue
Stevens Student Center
Location
Cedarville, OH
Start Date
4-16-2014 11:00 AM
End Date
4-16-2014 2:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Preparticipation Cardiovascular Screenings in Athletics
Cedarville, OH
Preparticipation cardiovascular screenings are a key method of injury prevention utilized in athletic training and sports medicine. Much research is available to describe the key components of a cardiovascular screening, but not much research has been conducted regarding the current clinical practices of this idealized screening model. The primary purpose of this study was to describe the current cardiovascular screening practices of clinicians in high school, collegiate, and professional athletic settings. The secondary purpose was to evaluate whether or not current cardiovascular screening practices align with the current, evidence-based recommendations regarding cardiovascular screening practices. Surveys were sent to certified athletic trainers who perform cardiovascular screenings in a variety of settings. The survey contained questions regarding demographics and specific questions about the subject’s preparticipation cardiovascular screening. The survey closed after 8 days and the 17 respondents’ responses were analyzed. Three One-Way ANOVAs were conducted. The priori alpha level was set at p < 0.05. Results found significant differences between job setting and last update to the clinician’s screening (p = 0.023) and between job setting and the 14 preparticipation screening questions/tests (for 2 of the questions/tests). The 2 questions/tests that had significant differences were inquiring about shortness of breath and fatigue with exercise (p = 0.046) and requiring parental verification of past medical and family history (p = 0.009). We concluded that the current clinical practices or preparticipation cardiovascular screenings in high school, collegiate, and professional athletic settings are not completely compliant with the current, evidence-based recommendations regarding cardiovascular screening practices. Mainly this noncompliance is due to the inconsistent performance of special testing during the physical examination portion of the preparticipation cardiovascular screening. Clinically, these results indicate that clinicians need to update their preparticipation cardiovascular screening to meet the current recommendations and follow their updated screening requirements without omitting steps.
