Preparticipation Physical Evaluations: Questions To Ask

One of the most important parts of the preparticipation physical evaluation (PPE) most sports programs require is the taking of a complete medical history. Regardless of what PPE form their child's program uses, parents should make sure that the health professional who takes the medical history asks the following questions:

Heart

1. Family medical history. Has anyone in the athlete's family:

   • Died for no apparent reason (SIDS, car accident, drowning)?

   • Had a heart problem?

   • Died of heart problems or sudden cardiac arrest before age 50?

   • Had syncope (fainting) or presyncope (near fainting)?

   • Had unexplained seizures?

   • Had significant arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) or a pacemaker?

   • Had any of the following genetic disorders:

     • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Note, however, that one study found that only 25% of athletes with HCM who died of sudden cardiac death had a family history of one or more non-traumatic familial deaths at age 50 or younger.

     • Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)

     • Marfan syndrome

     • Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

     • Arrythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy

     • Early coronary artery disease

     • Brugada syndrome

     • Long QT syndrome (LQTS)

     • Short QT syndrome

     • Primary pulmonary hypertension

     • Rheumatic fever

     • Hypertension (high blood pressure) or

     • Kawaski disease?

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