A new Florida law aimed at protecting student athletes will soon require heart screenings before they can participate in high school sports.
The measure will make Florida the first state in the U.S. to require an electrocardiogram, or EKG, for high school athletes. Health experts say the test can detect underlying heart conditions that may increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
The law, known as the Second Chance Act, takes effect July 1.
Robert Sefcik, executive director of the Jacksonville Sports Medicine Program, said parents should not wait until the law is in place to have their children screened.
“Get your kids screened as soon as possible,” Sefcik said.
Incoming ninth graders, as well as students in 10th through 12th grade who have never played, practiced or tried out in Florida High School Athletic Association-sanctioned sports, will be required to complete a heart screening before participating in athletics.
The law is named after Chance Gainer, a Florida high school football player who died from sudden cardiac arrest while playing for Port St. Joe High School.
Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death among student-athletes. Sefcik said early screenings can help identify hidden heart conditions that may otherwise go undetected.
“We’re trying to catch that diamond in the rough, so to speak. That needle in the haystack,” Sefcik said. “Somebody that may have a cardiac condition that warrants additional follow-up, and we want to make sure that child is safe.”
During the screening, electrodes are placed on a student’s chest to measure the heart’s electrical activity. A pediatric cardiologist reviews the results and follows up with parents if any concerns are found.
Sefcik said the screenings have already identified several students with previously undiagnosed heart conditions.
“We have caught several of those needles in the haystacks,” he said. “Kids with irregular heart rhythms and irregular conditions that otherwise were undetected and not known by the student athlete or parent.”
Eighth graders planning to participate in high school sports can qualify for free testing.
Sefcik said families should get the screenings done before the start of the new athletic year.
“We want to get them screened and we want to do it as soon as possible,” he said. “Don’t wait until July 1 to get them screened because July 1 is the start to the new athletic year. Kids are going to want to start working out with their team, conditioning, weight lifting, and they’ll be restricted unless they’re screened.”
Returning athletes are not required to get the screening but are strongly encouraged to do so.
The nonprofit organization Who We Play For, which focuses on preventing sudden cardiac arrest in young people, will host a heart screening Wednesday, March 11, at Wolfson High School from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants must register in advance to reserve a spot.