National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) and Inter-Association Task Force (ATC) Consensus Statement released Guidelines for Preparedness and Management of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Among High School and College Athletes.

“Unfortunately sudden cardiac arrest can be mistaken for other causes of collapse, which can lead to treatment delays,” said Ron Courson, ATC, task force co-chairman. “Increased training will help rescuers correctly identify SCA and prevent critical delays in beginning resuscitation. In fact, access to defibrillation within three to five minutes is essential, because each minute lost reduces the chance of survival by approximately 10 percent.”

American Heart Association scientific statement, 03/13/2007, 12-step screening may help reduce sudden death in high school and college competitive athletes. The screening includes 12 questions about personal and family medical history and a physical examination to uncover aspects of a potential athlete’s health that could signal a cardiovascular problem.