Medical History and Physical Examination in Sports Medicine

Family and personal medical history and physical examination are worldwide recognized as the milestone of the athletes’ preparticipation cardiovascular screening, whose main target is the prevention of sudden death. Recommendations from the major medical associations advise the critical points to investigate. Because of the genetic origin of most cases of non-traumatic sudden death in athletes, family medical history has a key role in identifying affected athletes, while personal medical history is essential to define the athlete’s cardiovascular risk and to guide the following physical examination. Family history of cardiac disease and sudden death, personal cardiac history and exercise-related symptoms, specifically chest pain, dyspnea, palpitations and syncope should be investigated. Physical examination should include general inspection, arterial blood pressure measurement, arterial pulses palpation, and dynamic cardiac auscultation. Based on the results of this inexpensive evaluation, a definite diagnosis can often be made. Selected noninvasive and invasive tests should be thus performed only when appropriate.