On Tuesday 11 June, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) were at the School to provide cardiac screening for 100 pupils. CRY’s mission is to identify those that are at risk from sudden cardiac death, an umbrella term for the many different causes of young sudden cardiac death. These conditions include thickening of the heart muscle or an abnormal structure of the heart, and irregularities of the impulses that control the rhythm of the heart. Pupils involved in sport, in particular, stress their heart the most and if they have an underlying cardiac abnormality, they are more likely to be at risk. CRY emphasises that exercise is NOT harmful and sport itself does not cause cardiac arrest, but can exacerbate an undetected condition.

At the screening, all pupils received an electrocardiogram (ECG) that examined the electrical activity of the heart, and if required, an echocardiogram, as well as a physical examination. The ECG was a simple, non-invasive and painless test that only took a few minutes to complete and was performed by qualified cardiac physiologists.

We are grateful to the Pilkington Family who helped facilitate CRY returning to the School. This screening was held in memory of their daughter, Sara Pilkington (OS 2009), who passed away due to cardiac related issues in 2012 whilst in her final year of her Combined Arts (BA Hons) degree at Durham University.

If you would like to learn more about CRY or find a screening near you please visit: Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).