One in 300 youth has an undiagnosed heart condition that can result in sudden cardiac arrest. The Kyle J. Taylor Foundation (KJTF), in collaboration with UC Davis Health and Project ADAM Sacramento, is hosting a free youth heart screening event to help identify young people who may have an undiagnosed heart condition.
The free screening will be on Sunday, Nov. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Monterey Trail High School, 8661 Power Inn Road in Elk Grove. The event is for those ages 12 to 25.
The screening takes about 40 minutes to complete. It includes a cardiac risk assessment, an electrocardiogram (EKG) and a physician review. Echocardiograms will also be available upon request by the physician.
The EKG is a simple and painless test that records the heart's electrical activity using small sticky electrode patches attached to the skin of the chest. Structural and electrical heart issues that can cause sudden cardiac arrest in young people can often be detected in an EKG or echocardiogram.
The purpose of the screening is to help prevent sudden cardiac arrest risk in children and young adults, which can occur during sporting events. Annual physical examinations and sports pre-participation physical exams, which are required for sports participation, can miss about 85 to 90% of issues that can cause sudden cardiac arrest in youth.
