Carlisle United have been carrying out cardiac screening through Heartscan at Brunton Park with 29 players from both the youth team and first team involved.
Every day in the UK, there are on average 12 sudden cardiac deaths in young people under the age of 35. In 80% of cases of young sudden cardiac death, there are no prior symptoms of a heart defect.
The frequency can be dramatically reduced by making heart screening available to all young people between the ages of 14 and 35 and the FA set up an initiative in 2007, whereby they fund heart screening for players at academies and clubs across the UK.
“Issues can arise in the heart as a result of altered or defective electrical pathways, or due to structural issues such as valve/heart muscle wall changes,” said Lead Academy Physiotherapist Helen Mathie.
Every year, all EFL Clubs are required to organise routine screening which consists of either an ECG (measure electrical activity) or an echocardiogram (ultrasound which looks at the anatomy of the heart).
The scans are then examined by an FA Sports Cardiologist and fed back to the club medical staff. Any problems identified are then flagged with the player – and parent if applicable, before organising a follow-up with a cardiologist.
During training and games for all age groups/first team, the Carlisle medical staff always carry a defibrillator, and undergo additional emergency care training at the FA Headquarters to support and manage a cardiac arrest situation.
