Abstract:
Sudden cardiac adverse events remain an area of concern in
sport. The precise risk for netball athletes is unknown but the
annual incidence of sudden cardiac death in sports is reported
at 0.5-2 cases in 100 000 young competitive athletes between
the ages of 12-35 years. Cardiac screening in the sport and
exercise medicine context aims at identifying pathologies
associated with catastrophic events when combined with
physical activity. There is an ongoing debate relating to the
standardisation of the pre-participatory medical assessment
(PPMA). World Netball (WN) commissioned a cardiac
screening policy (13 March 2022). The minimum PPMA
recommended by World Netball is a history, physical
examination, and a resting 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG).
ECGs should be interpreted in accordance with athletespecific ECG interpretation criteria. Expansion of sports
cardiology experience and infrastructure, in combination
with universal emergency response planning for sudden
cardiac arrest, is intended to safeguard athlete health and
player welfare in WN.