Post-COVID-19 Cardiovascular Evaluation in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Athletes.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the necessity of cardiac testing after a COVID-19 diagnosis as it relates to myocarditis in collegiate athletes. DESIGN: Cross-sectional retrospective case series. SETTING: National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I University. PATIENTS: One hundred sixty-five collegiate athletes diagnosed with COVID-19 by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction or immunoglobulin G antibody between August and December 2020 without exclusion. INTERVENTIONS: All participants underwent cardiac workup consisting of serum troponin, electrocardiogram, transthoracic echocardiogram, and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). All results were reviewed by team physicians and sports cardiologists. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of myocarditis and abnormality on cardiac testing after COVID-19 infection at a single institution. RESULTS: One (0.61% [95% CI, 0.02%-3.3%] asymptomatic athlete had CMR findings of an age-indeterminate myocardial injury with further cardiac testing being otherwise normal. No athlete had CMR abnormalities consistent with acute myocarditis by the modified Lake Louise Criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Occurrence of myocarditis was lower in this population compared with other studies. No student athlete was permanently disqualified from participation because of testing. A stratified, risk-based testing strategy with CMR may be more appropriate than a universal screening strategy.

Correlating the King-Devick Test With Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening in Adolescent Patients With Concussion: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: The King-Devick (K-D) test is a rapid number-naming task that has been well validated as a sensitive sideline performance measure for concussion detection. Patients with concussion take significantly longer to complete the K-D test than healthy controls. Previous research suggests that ocular motor deficits, specifically saccadic abnormalities, may be an underlying factor for the prolonged time. However, these findings have not been studied at length. HYPOTHESIS: K-D testing time of concussed adolescents at the initial clinical concussion visit will positively correlate with vestibular/ocular motor screening (VOMS) total scores. STUDY DESIGN: Case series. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3. METHODS: A total of 71 patient charts were retrospectively analyzed between October 1, 2016, and January 31, 2017. Included charts consisted of patients between the ages of 10 and 18 years with a diagnosis of concussion and who had completed K-D testing and VOMS assessment at the initial physician visit. Univariate correlation between K-D testing time and the 7 VOMS items was assessed using Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTS: K-D testing time strongly correlated with all 7 VOMS items ( r(69) = 0.325-0.585, P < 0.01). In a linear regression model that accounted for each VOMS item, the convergence (near point) item and the visual motion sensitivity item significantly predicted K-D testing time (ß = 0.387, t(63) = 2.81, P < 0.01 and ß = 0.375, t(63) = 2.35, P = 0.02, respectively). Additionally, 37.5% of the 24 patients with worsening symptoms after K-D testing freely reported increased visual problems. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that prolonged K-D testing times in adolescents with concussion may be related to subtypes of vestibular/ocular motor impairment that extend beyond saccadic abnormalities. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Poor K-D testing performance of adolescents with concussion may indicate a range of vestibular/ocular motor deficits that need to be further identified and addressed to maximize recovery.