Merrimack County, NH

• WWPF will coordinate program outreach through organizations and individuals wanting to bring heart screenings to their community

• Screenings will be performed by the WWPF staff and volunteers

• Results are interpreted by WWPF pediatric or adult cardiologists and distributed to families

• Students requiring follow up are connected with local providers

A simple heart screening can help detect problems before they become major medical issues. We recommend that all student-athletes and students receive an ECG. If you experience any of the symptoms listed below, you should seek an ECG screening immediately:

• Compete in high impact sports that increases your heart rate for an extended period

• Have a family history indicating that there is a heart disease risk

• Get dizziness during athletics

• Experience fainting spells or weakness while participating

• Get shortness of breath that does not clear quickly

• Get chest pain while participating

Cardiac screening can detect a variety of potentially catastrophic genetic diseases. The simplest level of testing is an ECG, which looks at the electrical signals of the heart. An ECG involves placing electrodes on the chest around the heart to record those signals. The test is easy, painless, non- invasive, and takes less than 5 minutes. It does not involve needles, blood work, radiation exposure or sedation.

On average 97% of all those screened have a normal ECG and are considered at low risk for cardiac issues. In less than 3%, results are inconclusive or suggest something that requires further testing. Most often an Echocardiogram (Echo) is recommended. The Echo is used to get a picture of the heart similar to an ultrasound to look at a baby during pregnancy. The Echo looks for valve and vein structure, muscle thickness, and proper operation of the heart. Most rarely, but most importantly, our statistics show that 1 in 1000 of those we screen will be flagged as high risk with a severe abnormality on their ECG.

Yes. The interpreted ECGs will be returned to participants within 10 business days with a designation of low risk, follow-up or high risk, as well as information about particular ECG findings, when applicable.

Every ECG is read by board-certified Cardiologists who are among the most experienced and qualified doctors in the country. Their experience means more accurate interpretations.

An abnormal ECG will be flagged for follow up, which means additional testing is needed to see what is causing that abnormality – think of it as a yellow caution light. It will include documentation on what the potential problem might be. Even if your child is flagged for a follow-up, he or she can continue participating in sports and other activities. You’ll just need to have your child visit a Cardiologist within 3 months for follow up.

If your child is flagged as high risk, it is like a red traffic light. He or she should not participate in sports or high-energy activities in any way (practice, games, scrimmages, etc.) until he or she has seen a specialist and received clearance or treatment. If you don’t have one already, we will offer the contact information of Cardiologists in your area.

We work with another national non-profit called Dollar For that "helps patients crush medical bills by making charity care known, easy, and fair. While Dollar For does not pay medical bills for patients, we are here to help you navigate hospital financial assistance programs and eliminate your hospital bills. Our services are completely free – no strings attached." Click here to visit the Dollar For website for more information.

What we recommend girls should wear: Sports bras, scoop-necked tank tops, or loose-fitted tops.

What NOT to wear: Dresses, body suits, long-sleeve tops, and turtle necks.

Occasionally results are blocked by spam folders or there is input error on the correct email. Please contact us here to request a copy of your results.

It’s just $20 per student. A typical doctor’s appointment with ECG normally costs $150 and up, we are happy to offer families this important heart screening at a huge savings.

The annual physical exam asks family history questions, and requires a doctor to listen to the student’s heart with a stethoscope. Studies have shown that this is just 1% effective in catching heart issues. An ECG can detect up to 95% of the conditions that cause SCA.

ECG screening should be part of the physical every two years through middle school and high school due to the physical changes and increased stresses on the heart, which occur during that time frame. However, encourage your children to be open and honest about how they physically feel and if at any time your child begins to experience any of the symptoms listed above, take immediate action with your child's physician.

No, arrangements are made for privacy. Boys will remove their shirts. Girls should wear a regular bra, which will not need to be removed.

Email heartscreening@whoweplayfor.org to find out more.