Study Designed to Detect Heart Problems in Young Athletes

A program has been initiated in a study designed to detect any abnormal heart conditions that can cause the heart to arrest. The four-step program includes a self-administered questionnaire, cardiovascular physical exam, 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiogram (cardiac ultrasound) of sixth-grade students to detect potential heart problems.

The Terason (Burlington, MA, USA) t3000 CV ultrasound is the ultrasound system of choice for The Houston Early Age Risk Testing and Screening (HEARTS) Program--a project of Memorial Hermann (Dallas, TX, USA) and University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Hospitals (Dallas, USA). The echocardiogram is performed using the portable cardiovascular ultrasound system from Terason, the t3000 CV. This system has innovative technologic advancements to perform under extreme conditions and improve essential patient care while exceeding market demand for high-quality portable ultrasound systems.

The Terason t3000 CV system enhances image quality and improves the overall productivity to increase workflow efficiency and diagnostic confidence. The intuitive user interface allows the user to begin an exam quickly and easily. The Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) compression results in a smaller study size without compromising the image quality. This smaller study size provides faster transfers to third party, web-based reporting and analysis.

Terason has answered the call to help, since physician histories and physicals are not sufficient to detect the one out of every 100 children with an undiagnosed heart condition. In Texas alone, there have been 63 sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) deaths reported among kindergarten-12 students since 2001. By identifying sixth grade students with underlying cardiac conditions, Terason and the HEARTS Program seek to prevent SCA via treatment and appropriate exercise limitations.

Related Links:
Memorial Hermann
University of Texas Southwestern Hospitals