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Journal of Pediatric Care
ISSN: 2471-805X
March 26-27, 2018
Edinburgh, Scotland
Pediatrics Conference 2018
Page 13
2
nd
Edition of International Congress on
Pediatrics
T
he sudden cardiac death (SCD) of a young athlete is a rare
but catastrophic event that sends shock waves through
a community, and when this tragedy involves a high profile
athlete being viewed by tens of thousands of spectators and
millions more by television, the shock waves spread around the
world. Though only about one out of 200,000 young athletes
have an underlying heart defect that can lead to SCD, the far-
reaching impact of the event predictably generates a great deal
of discussion among the general public and within the medical
community. Pre-participation screening offers the important
possibility of primary prevention of SCD since the outcome
of lethal cardiovascular disorders is usually irreversible. We
will explore the cardiovascular aspects of pre-participation
screening beginning with a discussion of the incidence and
nature of the cardiovascular anomalies that cause SCD in
the young. These include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy,
arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, aortic dissection due
to Marfan syndrome, congenital and acquired coronary artery
anomalies, and electrophysiological anomalies including Wolff-
Parkinson White syndrome (WPW), Long QT, Brugada, and CPVT
(catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia). We
will focus on how these potential causes of SCD might best be
detected. Recognizing variations in epidemiology and etiology
of SCD in North America, Europe and Asia, we will discuss the
varyingapplicationof screeningmodalities, which include theuse
of the questionnaire, physical examination, electrocardiography
(EKG) and exercise EKG. In this context, we will review the scope
and nature of community-wide screening in USA as it compares
with other countries, and we will revisit the controversy regarding
the exclusion of EKGs from the AHA guidelines. The audience
will be able to use what they learn by reviewing the incidence of
various causes of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young athletes
and we will heighten awareness of these entities. Empowered
with the knowledge regarding the etiologies that may lead to
SCD in young athletes, the audience will be vigilant about these
entities and knowwhen to refer for specialty evaluation and care.
Knowing the power of the EKG in expanding detection for many
etiologies that may lead to SCD in young athletes, the audience
will appreciate and obtain this information. This will help the
audience in their job by empowering them with the knowledge
regarding the etiologies that may lead to SCD in young athletes
and the audience will be vigilant about these entities and know
when to restrict athletes pending specialty evaluation. The other
benefits include a discussion of etiologies that may lead to SCD
in young athletes will have immediate impact on the clinical
practice of pediatricians in the context of the pre-participation
sports physical. This will heighten the awareness of clinically
important details enhancing the detection of potentially lethal
cardiovascular anomalies. This discussion will also provide the
substrate for population research and registries to monitor the
impact of enhanced detection.
Biography
Michael J Cooper graduated from Tel-Aviv University Medical School in
1977. He is specialized in Pediatrics followed by a Pediatric Cardiology
Fellowship at University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Cen-
ter, USA. He remained at UCSF after fellowship and became full Professor
of Pediatric Cardiology in 1988. Additionally, he conducts cardiovascular
screening for young athletes at Northern California high schools. He also
volunteers biannually in Palestine for children who lack access to care. In
his free time, he publishes novels of historical fiction.
Michael.cooper@ucsf.eduCardiovascular aspects of the
pre-participation sports physical
Michael J Cooper
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, USA
Michael J Cooper, J Pediatr Care, Volume 4
DOI: 10.21767/2471-805X-C1-004