Athletic Screening
The Athletic Screening Program is provided to the Central Oregon community through generous funding from the Heart Institue of the Cascades. The Pediatric Heart Center of Central Oregon, Bend Memorial Clinic, and Heart Center Cardiology also contribute time and resources to this program, which is provided to high schools free of charge. At this time, the program is being offered only to high school athletes, but is being expanded to include other high school students.
The purpose of this program is to raise awareness about heart defects and their recognition in young people, and to remember young people in our community who have died from a congenital heart problem. Through this program, we perform quarterly heart screenings at high schools throughout Central Oregon.
The screening tests include an electrocardiogram (EKG) and a limited echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart). These tests focus on detection of some of the heart problems that can lead to sudden death in young people. These problems include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (an abnormal thickening of the heart muscle), an abnormal enlargement of the aorta (the main blood vessel that leaves the heart), certain heart valve abnormalities, and abnormal electrical activity in the heart that could lead to arrhythmias. These problems are rare, and may easily be missed on a routine physical exam.
To date, we have screened nearly 1000 student athletes. Most of those found to have significant heart abnormalities were able to successfully return to sports after correction of their heart problem.
Please note that the Athletic Screening is not a substitute for your child’s required sports physical, or for a complete cardiac evaluation if there is concern for a heart problem.
The purpose of this program is to raise awareness about heart defects and their recognition in young people, and to remember young people in our community who have died from a congenital heart problem. Through this program, we perform quarterly heart screenings at high schools throughout Central Oregon.
The screening tests include an electrocardiogram (EKG) and a limited echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart). These tests focus on detection of some of the heart problems that can lead to sudden death in young people. These problems include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (an abnormal thickening of the heart muscle), an abnormal enlargement of the aorta (the main blood vessel that leaves the heart), certain heart valve abnormalities, and abnormal electrical activity in the heart that could lead to arrhythmias. These problems are rare, and may easily be missed on a routine physical exam.
To date, we have screened nearly 1000 student athletes. Most of those found to have significant heart abnormalities were able to successfully return to sports after correction of their heart problem.
Please note that the Athletic Screening is not a substitute for your child’s required sports physical, or for a complete cardiac evaluation if there is concern for a heart problem.