Parental Knowledge of Cardiovascular Screening and Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Youth Athletes

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in youth athletes. Survival from out- of-hospital SCA depends on prompt initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). This study evaluated parental knowledge, experience, and attitudes related to cardiovascular screening, SCA, and CPR/AED use in youth athletes and made comparisons between parents who are employed in healthcare and parents who are not employed in healthcare. We conducted a cross-sectional survey to evaluate knowledge, experiences, and attitudes of 91 parents of youth athletes who attended a community-based cardiovascular screening event. Although cardiovascular screening can reduce the risk of SCA, we found that 36% of parents incorrectly thought cardiovascular screening could prevent SCA and there was no difference in knowledge between the two groups of parents. This initial evaluation of parental knowledge of cardiovascular screening issues in youth athletes should guide educational efforts to prevent and respond to SCA in youth athletes.