Preparticipation health screening of young athletes Results of 1268 examinations

The major purpose of the preparticipation physical examination of athletes is to screen for conditions that could predispose the athlete to injury or death. How-ever, the examinations offered to many of the athletes in this country fail to adequately accomplish this. This study analyzed the preparticipation health exams of prospective sports participants from all public schools in Richmond County, Georgia for two consecutive years. We sought to identify the components of a preparticipation exam which most accurately identi-fied athletes who were at risk of sustaining injury. The most frequently reported problems on the health history were previous injuries, previous hospitaliza-tions, and joint problems. These were consistent ove