Obstacles such as cost, staffing, and the likelihood of false-positives have prevented cardiac diagnostic tests such as 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG) from becoming a routine part of the preparticipation examination (PPE) in most countries, including the United States. Two international medical groups, however, have recently endorsed the inclusion of the 12-lead ECG in the PPE. In December 2004, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) medical commission released a consensus statement that outlines standards for the cardiac PPE, which includes 12-lead ECG testing. Soon after, in February, study groups of the European Society of Cardiology published a consensus statement proposing a European standard for cardiac evaluation of athletes that includes the 12-lead ECG.
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