State-of-the-Art Evaluation of Athletes: Avoiding Sudden Cardiac Death
A CME Symposium for Medical Professionals
Monday, May 12, 2008
11:30 am-5:00 pm
Followed by the 16th Annual Leonard Horowitz Memorial Lectureship
Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing

View Brochure and Registration Materials!

If We Save One Life, It's Worth It.

Because gifted young (under the age of 30) athletes so often capture the attention and admiration of the public, we are tend to think of them as invulnerable. Yet, over the last two decades alone, we have seen well know local and national sports stars who have suddenly collapsed and died during or after a sports activity. Sadly, we learn after the fact that they harbored undiagnosed heart abnormalities. Among the most famous cases are:

• Ryan Shay- died during the Men's Olympic Marathon Trials in New York's Central Park on November 3, 2007. He was only 28 years old.
• Damien Nash of the Denver Broncos died in February 2007 not long after playing in a charity basketball game.
• Jason Collier, 28-year old Atlanta Hawks center who died in 2005.
• Louis Savino III, 15-year old Pennsbury High School student died during his high school soccer practice in October 2000.
• Sergi Grinkov, 28-year old ice-skating Olympic gold medalist who died in 1995.
• Hank Gathers, a native Philadelphian, who played basketball for Loyola Marymount University, who though diagnosed with cardiac problems after a fainting episode was allowed to continue playing and died on the court in 1990.

According to Martin J. O'Riordan, MD, director of the Adult Congenital Heart Program at Lankenau Hospital, sudden death claims the lives of amateur and high-profile athletes alike at a rate of one in 50,000 to one in 200,000 annually. Dr. O'Riordan says that, "These sudden deaths make people wonder if anything could have been done to prevent them."

His intense interest in the subject led Dr. O'Riordan to take a month long sabbatical in 2006 to work in Rome, Italy with Dr. Antonio Pelliccia, an international expert in pathophysiology, who developed a screening program which has been successful in detecting cardiovascular abnormalities, particularly HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or the thickening of the heart muscle) and other cardiomyopathies. With his own knowledge base increased, Dr. O'Riordan came back to the Main Line Health (MLH) Heart Center with a passionate commitment to disseminate understanding of these syndromes and encourage physicians and others to implement potentially life-saving cardiac screenings for high school and college age youth in this region and beyond.

As a first step toward that goal, on May 12, 2008, the MLH Heart Center, with Dr. O'Riordan as program director, will host a continuing medical education symposium: State-of-the-Art Evaluation of Athletes: Avoiding Sudden Cardiac Death. This program is being offered to family practitioners, cardiologists, eletrophysiologists and orthopedic physicians as well as college athletic directors and athletic trainers. "We want to offer the medical community and those that work directly with your student athletes a better understanding of the risks of sudden cardiac death and the potential for early detection," said Peter R. Kowey, MD, president, MLH Heart Center.

In addition to this symposium, Dr. O'Riordan plans to work with area school district athletic directors and schedule screenings of student athletes in the areas served by Main Line Health hospitals (Bryn Mawr, Lankenau, Paoli and Riddle Memorial). "If one life is saved, all of our efforts are worthwhile", says Dr. O'Riordan.

Funding for the May 12th symposium has been provided in part through educational grants from Medtronic, Boston Scientific, CardioNet and St. Jude Medical. Additional funding is currently being sought from both corporate partners and caring individuals in the community.

To request additional information, or if you have any questions, please contact Patti Giambuzzi by calling 610-645-8135 or via email, giambuzzip@mlhs.org

Published:2-19-2008