Is a viable option an EKG and bedside echo to pick up electrical and mechanical issues and then refer to a cardiologist for a cardiac MRI? I have a few pilots I need to screen. 5 have dropped dead already. One young guy arrested during a training flight and had they had to emergently land the helicopter. He was officially dead for 20 mins until he was revived. Career is now over. We have to screen these men and women before they get here and suggest treatment options to start a prevention plan. Thoughts?
It is not - MRI is the only thing sensitive enough to make a definitive diagnosis, even if abnormalities found on those other tests they would be non-specific unless very advanced (severe CHF) in which case the person would not be out doing activities and dropping dead
I do general screening with echo and ekg, as we can not send every single patient to dynamic cardiac MRI. If my index of suspicion is high, I will obtain the MRI