What will happen if I am found to have a condition?

If a condition is identified at the CRY screening programme, the individual will be referred to a cardiologist that has experience in managing conditions that cause sudden death in the young or managing individuals who play a lot of sport. The aim would be to treat the symptoms if there are symptoms; to identify individuals who may die suddenly and ensure that fatalities don’t occur; and to screen first degree family members of the affected individual as most of these conditions are hereditary. In a nutshell, individuals identified with a cardiac disorder will be treated appropriately. Some may just need nothing more than lifestyle modification, some may need medications and a small minority may require surgery or implantation of a defibrillator to prevent sudden death. We need to look at this very positively, it’s better to know that there’s something wrong and do something about it, rather than to be oblivious and go out to school one day and never come home again.