Orange County student-athletes are preparing for the upcoming school year with free sports physicals and heart screenings provided by AdventHealth and Orange County Public Schools.
New Florida Law Requires Heart Screenings
A new Florida law, effective in July, requires student-athletes to undergo heart screenings. According to the American Heart Association, more than 23,000 children experience cardiac arrest each year, with nearly half of those cases related to sports activities.
AdventHealth physician Harrison Youmans says EKG screenings can help detect underlying heart conditions, potentially preventing life-threatening events. “There are inheritable conditions that people can have and may have symptoms from, and unfortunately, sometimes the first symptom is a sudden cardiac arrest,” Youmans said.
John Fleming, a parent, brought his son to receive a free sports physical and EKG heart screening. “This is a stress relief, to be honest with you,” Fleming said.
Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.
