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SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST INFORMATIONAL HANDOUT
BE AWARE:
Any of
1) Structural heart disease. This may or may not be present from birth
2) Electrical heart disease. This is a problem with the heart’s electrical system that controls the heartbeat
3) Situational causes. These may be people with completely normal hearts who are either are hit in the chest or
develop a heart infection
Warning signs in your family that you or your youth athlete may be at high risk of SCA:
o A blood relative who suddenly and unexpectedly dies before age 50
o Any of the following conditions: cardiomyopathy, long QT syndrome, Marfan syndrome, or other rhythm problems of
the heart
Warning signs of SCA. If any of these things happen with exercise, see your health care professional:
Chest pain/discomfort
Unexplained fainting/near fainting or dizziness
Unexplained tiredness, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Unusually fast or racing heart beats
The youth athlete who faints or passes out before, during, or after an athletic activity MUST be removed from the activity. Before returning to the activity, the youth athlete must be seen by a health care professional and cleared in writing.
If the youth athlete’s biological parent, sibling or child has had a SCA, then the youth athlete must be removed from activity. Before returning to the activity, the youth athlete must be seen by a health care professional and cleared in writing.
Any young athlete with any of these warning signs cannot participate in practices, interschool practices, scrimmages or competition until cleared by a health care professional.
Other reasons to be seen by a healthcare professional would be a heart murmur, high blood pressure, or prior heart evaluation by a physician.
