ECG Screening For Athletes: A Practice Every Athlete Needs

Athletes are required to eat only the most nutritious meals, exercise for hours at a time, sleep at least eight to nine hours, and avoid illegal drug and alcohol consumption at all costs. With every extra set, step, lap, or rep, athletes constantly push their hearts to new levels. It all sounds quite healthy. After all, they’re the ones who have the strongest hearts. But maybe not so. Why are so many athletes falling victim to sudden cardiac arrest, and what can be done to keep them from dying?

Exercise strengthens the heart but is also interpreted by the body as stress. All this strain can “make or break” the heart, and this is especially prevalent among young athletes (commonly student-athletes). Young athletes are twice as susceptible to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) as young non-athletes. The principal cardiovascular cause of SCA is a heart disease called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). Thankfully, there are organizations across the country that help to prevent sudden cardiac arrest. Two have shared their stories below. This is a must-read for all student-athletes.

How the Cody Stephens Case Changed the Law

In the fall of Cody Stephens’ senior year of high school, neighboring high school districts fought to make ECG (electrocardiogram) screening mandatory in Texas. The Crosby high school district nurse worked with Cody’s neighboring school to do this, but Cody died in 2012, just months before his school implemented the program. “The fact that I couldn’t give him a $20 screening drives me insane,” Scott Stephens, Cody’s father, explained.

“When I finally got myself off the floor, and quit walking into walls, and just trying to breathe, I realized my son died of something very very preventable. It’s very preventable with a simple test: an ECG.”

So in 2013, the Stephens family began their fight for legislation, and it wasn’t an easy one. After five years, a bill was finally filed in November of 2018. Then, in June of 2019, Scott received what would be his best Father’s Day gift ever. HB76 was signed into law! The first in the country, HB76 is an informed opt-in that is available to student-athletes, drill teams, and even band members!

And the Stephens family, and their memorial foundation, the Cody Stephens Foundation doesn’t stop there. “It’s going to be a while for it to be where I want it to be. It’s an overwhelming task but we want a system where screening is in the hands of an athletic trainer (AT) or nurse. We want to place ECG systems with AT’s so that athletes can go in whenever to run the test. Then the Cody Stephen’s Foundation cardiologists can read the results of their ECG for just $10.”

Scott emphasized the importance that “each student should be screened every other year. At a minimum do one before and after puberty until after they are 25 years old.” During a testimony, while trying to get HB76 passed, Scott remembered an afternoon when he received a message about a young man who didn’t get screened, who passed away, even though the Cody Stephens Foundation had screened his school. The Stephens family fought to make this law so that every student-athlete has the opportunity to be screened. “Give all parents a choice, give us all the information. If they want it (screening) we can give it. Although Texas is our focus, if a group wants to screen, give us a call and I’ll find someone to guide them through it” Scott explained. “Our motto is screen ‘em all.”

The Cody Stephens Foundation partners with an array of school sizes in big cities and remote communities. They provide quick, easy and painless heart screenings with ECGs for all Texas school districts for students ages 11-24. From there, ECGs are interpreted via telemedicine by licensed cardiologists and results returned to the school within three business days. 

To date, more than 160,000 people have been screened by the Cody Stephens Foundation. 183 young athletes who were screened were diagnosed with heart issues that would have cut short their lives.

Two Organizations Promoting ECG Screening

Evan Ernst, Executive Director of Who We Play For (WWPF) shared a similar story of loss that resulted in a similar story of hope, action, and change. Evan and Rafe Maccarone were teammates and best friends. During soccer warm-ups, Rafe collapsed from sudden cardiac arrest. He had undiagnosed HCM. The next day, he passed away. Rafe’s condition was treatable and most importantly, easily preventable.

Founded in room 114 of Evan’s fraternity house, WWPF has now screened upwards of 100,000 students across 500+ communities in dozens of states. Evan wants to ensure that regardless if a student is an athlete or not, each individual will receive heart screening. By partnering with school board members and hospitals, WWPF is ensuring that all students receive screenings and follow-ups, if necessary. They have dedicated 10+ years to building and growing WWPF and continue in their fight to ensure that other families, teams and communities will never know the pain of losing a loved one to cardiac arrest.

Other States Following Suit

In the state of North Carolina, a group of senators has filed a bill that will require student-athletes to have their hearts screened before participating in school-sanctioned sports. The SCA Task Force will be responsible for addressing SCA in North Carolinian student-athletes. The Task Force is to meet no later than October 1, 2019 and will consist of seven members: two members of the Senate, two members of the House of Representatives, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (or his or her designee), the Superintendent of Public Instruction (or his or her designee), and a representative of the American Heart Association.

Student-athletes are  more susceptible to cardiac arrest when compared to non-athletes, and with foundations like the Cody Stephens Foundation and Who We Play For, providing access to screenings is a crucial component of athlete’s health and safety. Athlete or not, it is essential for young people, students, and adults to receive heart screenings and learn  what to do in the event that a sudden cardiac arrest does occur. 

When it comes to cardiac arrest, CPR and early defibrillation with an AED provide the best chance  of survival. While athletic trainers are typically the first line of defense, encouraging people to learn CPR and how to use an AED can help ensure that immediate action is taken in the event of a sudden  cardiac arrest. 

Here at Avive, we strive to increase the survival rate for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) by proactively empowering people with reliable life-saving tools. Our Avive Connect AED® is the smallest, lightest, FDA-approved AED available – built for accessibility, durability, and portability. 

To learn more about our mission, educational resources and products, check out our products page to get started.