M-D Commission Sends EKG Resolution To FL Legislature
MIAMI (CBS4) - Teens who want to play sports at their high school may have another test added to their required physical.
Miami-Dade County Commissioners approved a resolution Tuesday that would require all Florida high school student athletes to submit to an Electrocardiogram (EKG) as part of their mandatory medical checkup.
"This type of legislation will save student athletes' lives," said Commissioner Esteban Bovo Jr., who sponsored the resolution.
The need for EKG's in student athletes has garnered attention nationwide. The issue was brought to the forefront locally after Florida International University student athlete Ramiro "Toti" Mendez died in April 2000 after he suffered a heart attack at the age of 20.Mendez, who played baseball for the FIU Panthers, suffered the heart attack because due to Viral Cardiomyopathy. Since his death, Mendez's mother has become a vocal advocate for electrocardiograms in student athletes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says an estimated 2,000 people under the age of 25 die of sudden cardiac arrest every year in the U.S.
