Should ECGs be required for student athletes?

“impractical and not applicable” to the American system because of the financial resources, manpower, and logistics required for a national screening program.

In a study of 5615 young athletes in Nevada, the sensitivity of the ECG in identifying serious cardiovascular abnormalities was 73% versus 4.5% for history and physical examination

ADHD may be more prevalent in children with heart disease than in the general pediatric population. Mahle et al30 have reported abnormal attention scores in 45% of children and abnormal hyperactivity scores in 39% of children with heart disease based on the responses of parents and teachers on the DSM-IV Rating Scale and Behavior Assessment System for Children. In this study, more than two thirds of children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome were thought to have attention/hyperactivity problems. In 2004, Kirshbom and colleagues31 found that 50% of children with total anomalous pulmonary venous return displayed abnormal hyperactivity and/or attention deficits. As previously noted, chronic or intermittent hypoxia experienced by children with heart disease has been linked to adverse effects on development, academic achievement, and behavior.25 Congenital cardiovascular anomalies are present in 76% of children with velocardiofacial syndrome/DiGeorge syndrome, caused by 22q11 microdeletion.32 ADHD affects 35% to 55% of these children