Athletes’ hearts ‘must be screened’

HIGH-LEVEL athletes should be screened for heart defects to prevent sudden adult death, according to the director of the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF).

Dr Vincent Maher said a policy requiring dedicated athletes to undergo Eco Cardiograms and ECGs may be necessary to prevent deaths such as those of 18-year-old rugby player John McCall.

The Irish U19 flanker, from Co Armagh, died of cardiac failure during the weekend’s World Cup clash against New Zealand in South Africa.

Availability of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), a device to kick-start the heart, at playing pitches, should also be looked at, Dr Maher said.

“What you need is to train people in the use of defibrillators and to have one available at the side of a pitch. For serious arrhythmia (irregular heart beat), there must be instant treatment.”

Dr John Clarke, chair of the IHF’s Basic Life Support Council (BLSC), said they were looking at installing community-based public access AEDs.

“The main one already in place in Dublin Airport has saved four lives in the last year.”

Cardiologist at the Mater Hospital Dr Joe Galvin said having access to an AED improved survival rates by 43%. The survival rate in Ireland following cardiac arrest is currently one percent, compared to 24% in Seattle, he said.

“A recent study of 183 people brought in to the Mater A&E in 2003 found that of six survivors, three came from Croke Park, where there are AEDs.”

Dr Galvin said installing AEDs and training people to operate them would not be difficult.

“They cost around €3,500. If communities were to come up with a team of volunteers, between four to 15, and train them for communities of about 2,000 people, the cost would only be €2.50 for every man, woman and child. The potential for lives saved is immense.

“I think the only take-home message from this is that ability to predict sudden adult death is very limited and the only way to tackle the problem is be improving access to AEDs.”

Dr Clarke said blanket screening of high-level athletes was probably not the solution because it could prevent those with even very minor ailments from competing.