Sudden cardiac arrest symptoms: condition a bigger killer than sports trauma, study reveals

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The National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research (NCAA) stated that more sportspeople die from a cardiac arrest than from incurring injuries while playing sports.

On Oct. 23, football lineman Xavier Ramirez collapsed while walking towards the bench. According to Lubbock Online, Ramirez had a sudden cardiac arrest and was rushed to the hospital.

Earlier this year, the NCAA deliberated on having players undergo mandatory EKG screenings. Legislators from Texas and South Carolina were also advocating for laws prompting schools to screen athletes in high school but to no avail.

University Interscholastic League Deputy Director Jeremy Harrison told reporters, "It has been an ongoing discussion for many years and what they consistently tell us is the science is not there to support mandatory EKG screenings for athletics."

KOMU reports that both the American College of Cardiology and The American Heart Association oppose the idea of conducting EKG tests.

For these two associations, EKGs are unreliable as they can miss coronary anomalies. Coronary anomalies are one of the leading causes for sudden cardiac arrest.

Instead of an EKG, they recommend that athletes fill up a 14-point questionnaire that asks players about their family's medical history and symptoms.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association requires athletes to complete a similar questionnaire prior to participating in any competitions or practices.

Stefanie West hopes that the answers athletes provide in the questionnaire will reveal which athletes are at risk. West is a licensed trainer for athletes for Columbia Public Schools.

"If there are athletes with high blood pressure or red flags in that family history, those are the athletes they send on for further testing. It's not usually a cardiologist doing the physical so if an athlete is at risk they need a full work up with a specialist," West told KOMU reporters.

"The main red flag for sudden cardiac arrest is family history. That's the main screening tool we use."

In the case of minors, West suggests that the parents or adult guardians answer the questions.

"It's important an adult fills it out because the high school athlete might not know that grandpa died of a heart attack at 40 years old."

A sudden cardiac arrest should not be confused with having a heart attack. Although both conditions involve the heart, how they affect the heart is different.

The Mayo Clinic defines cardiac arrest as sudden loss of consciousness. Breathing stops and the individual has no pulse.

When the heart stops beating, the brain is no longer able to get the oxygen it needs. Brain damage and death can occur within just a few minutes.

On the other hand, WebMD says a heart attack involves clogged vessels which prevent blood from getting to your heart. The muscle dies as a result.

Mayo Clinic recommends performing CPR for two minutes before calling 911. Watch this video to learn how to do hands-only chest compressions.