Pagosa Springs Middle School cares about your child’s heart health,
so we are partnering with Who We Play For and the Pagosa Springs
Rotary Club to screen athletes with an ECG (electrocardiogram). An
ECG, also known as an EKG, can detect issues in the heart that can
be missed in a standard physical. Please consider signing up your
child for this very important screening. Here are some frequently
asked questions (FAQ) on the program:

 

What is Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)?

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the immediate loss of electrical function of the heart caused by an abnormal heart rhythm called
ventricular fibrillation. SCA occurs suddenly, without warning, and causes the heart to stop pumping blood to the body.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest is not the same as a heart attack.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest is:
• The #1 Killer of Student Athletes in the United States, accounting for 75% of all athlete related deaths
• The #1 Killer of Students while on school campuses, two-thirds occurring with exercise or activity
• The #2 Medical Cause of Death in all of our children
• The First reported symptom in half of all cases

 

Why should my child get a cardiac screening?

 

The human body, including the heart, changes during puberty in a variety of ways. In middle school, student athletes learn how
to push their bodies to new levels as they mature and grow. Because of these physical changes and the increased stresses on a
student athlete's heart, cardiac screening should be part of a physical at least once while in middle school and once in high
school.
Electrocardiogram (ECG) screening can help detect problems before they become major medical issues. While we recommend
all student athletes get an ECG, you should definitely be screened if you:
• Have a family history of heart disease or SCA
• Experience dizziness or fainting spells during or after exercise/activity
• Experience extreme fatigue or unusual shortness of breath during or after exercise
• Experience chest pain during exercise
• Experience racing or irregular heartbeats

How is the cardiac screening done?

Cardiac screening with an ECG can detect a variety of potentially fatal diseases that disturb a heart’s normal electrical function
such as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), Long QT Syndrome, and Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. An ECG records the
electrical activity of the heart and measures the electrical signals the heart uses to contract and circulate blood through the
body and lungs. An ECG involves placing electrodes on the chest around the heart to record those signals. Once the screening is
complete, our team of cardiologists will review your child’s ECG, alongside their personal and family health history, to make a
determination on your child’s heart health. The test is easy, painless, non-invasive, and takes less than 5 minutes to perform. It
does not involve needles, blood work, radiation exposure or sedation.

You can visit our website at: www.whoweplayfor.org or call (970) 317-0371