Youth Heart Screenings
Thank you for your support and participation in our Youth Heart Screenings
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Youth Heart Screening Events
The Youth Heart Screening is provided at no cost to students aged 10-22 years old. This screening is offered to students who are not currently under the care of a cardiologist and have not previously been screened by The Peyton Walker Foundation. Please register and select a time. You will redirected to a Heart Screening Consent, Waiver and Medical Microsoft Form to complete by the day of the Heart Screening.
Every family will meet with a health care professional to discuss the results of their child’s testing, and will leave with a copy of their EKG and will receive a summary report of their visit.
The entire visit typically takes 60 minutes – time well spent!
- He/she will receive a vitals check including blood pressure, height and weight.
- He/she will receive an EKG (electrocardiogram) exam.
- He/she will be evaluated at the heart sounds/murmur station.
- About 10% of the students will receive an echocardiogram based on their family history or something of interest on the EKG. Should your child need an Echo, you may need to stay an extra 45-60 minutes. This test is also provided at no cost to you.
Why is Heart Screening so important?
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the #1 killer of student athletes in our country. Every hour, every day we lose a child to SCA. Often times, the first sign or symptom of a hidden heart issue…is sudden death. Thousands of children are walking around with serious undiagnosed heart issues.
According to our friends at Parent Heart Watch, “Youth are not adequately screened for heart issues. In fact, the standard approach to physical exams and patient histories misses 96% of youth at risk for SCA. Because most heart conditions that can lead to SCA are not detectable with a stethoscope, a simple, noninvasive and painless test with an electrocardiogram (EKG) and echocardiogram, coupled with a comprehensive review of personal and family heart history and the proper assessment and follow-up of warning signs and symptoms are the best tools for primary prevention.”
What We Do!
The Peyton Walker Foundation hosts FREE Heart Screenings for students aged 10-22 years old throughout the Central Pennsylvania area. Students receive a vitals check, get checked for heart murmurs and also receive an electrocardiogram (EKG).
If anything unusual shows up on their EKG or during their murmur check, a FREE echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) is offered during the screening clinic.
Each student also learns how to perform CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and how to use an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) while they’re waiting for their test results.
Every family will meet with a health care professional to discuss the results of their child’s testing, and will leave with a copy of their EKG and will receive a summary report of their visit.
The entire visit typically takes 60 minutes – time well spent!
Parent Heart Watch reports that 2% of youth that are screened are diagnosed with a heart abnormality or concern, while 1% are diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition. We have found these statistics to hold true, with an even higher-than-average rate of significant findings at our recent heart screening events.
Hosting a Heart Screening
We currently have over 40 school districts on our waiting list to host a Heart Screening. Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate additional requests at this time. Our screenings are held at school facilities. We are unable to host screenings at private facilities and clubs.