RT Journal
A1 Koller A
T1 CArdiovascular screening of high school athletes
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 1999
FD February 17
VO 281
IS 7
SP 607
OP 608
DO 10-1001/pubs.JAMA-ISSN-0098-7484-281-7-jbk0217
UL http://dx.doi.org/10-1001/pubs.JAMA-ISSN-0098-7484-281-7-jbk0217
AB 
To the Editor: Drs Glover and Maron1 address the issue of improving the sensitivity of
the preparticipation cardiovascular screening process for high school
athletes. In this context, cardiac troponins may be useful in the
identification of athletes with minor degrees of myocardial
injury2 who are at high risk of progressing to more
extensive damage and developing serious complications. Troponins also
can be used to evaluate athletes with chest pain and other symptoms
that are more subtle, such as nausea, abdominal pain, or fatigue, whose
risk of serious adverse cardiac events is low. The use of troponin
proteins in the diagnosis of myocarditis has been described
recently.3 The technology exists for rapid measurement of
cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI). Point-of-care
testing, both qualitative and quantitative, for cTnT and cTnI is
already available.4 A currently available cTnT immunoassay
in strip format requires no specialized laboratory equipment, is easily
performed by medical personnel, can be performed in the gym or stadium,
uses whole blood, and is completed within 20 minutes.5 The
automated evaluation of this test with a compact bench-top instrument
combines rapid diagnosis with quantitative results.5 In
addition, an automated evaluation ensures standardized results, as it
eliminates potential sources of error by visual reading.5
More important, we have shown that capillary blood can be used as
sample material for the detection of cTnT.5 Troponin
measurement may permit more frequent detection of cardiovascular
lesions associated with morbidity in young competitive athletes.