A new Florida law, called the Second Chance Act, requires electrocardiogram tests to be administered to all high school student athletes before they can compete on school sports teams.
It makes Florida the first and only state to require high school athletes to get at least one EKG in their high school sports career.
“There are many conditions, cardiac conditions, that are only diagnosed with EKG’s,” said Broward Health Cardiologist Jonathan P. Nieves.
Nieves maintains that regardless of health status, EKG’s will benefit anyone playing sports.
“These EKG’s are screening for high-risk conditions,” said Nieves. “These are conditions that lead to sudden cardiac death which is what we’re trying to prevent.”
Doctors say the tests are quick, painless and detect heart conditions which can cause sudden cardiac arrest, and even death.
“It’s not only saving the students lives some of these conditions are genetically transmitted from family member to family member,” said Nieves. “And so, in the long term, we are not only saving the student athlete, but we are saving their parents, siblings, and even their children in the future.”
Health professionals know the importance of finding these conditions before it is too late.
“Some of these conditions only present with cardiac, sudden cardiac death. And so, the screening process is the important factor, the limiting factor in these cases.” said Nieves.
It comes in the wake of a changing health landscape in professional and amateur sports.
Just last year, a Florida high school football player, Chance Gainer, died after collapsing mid-game.
The law is named the Second Chance Act after the late high school star.
It also comes after NFL player Damar Hamlin collapsed mid-game on national television from cardiac arrest a few years ago.
The Second Chance Act went into effect on July 1st.