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A parent volunteer places electrodes on senior Mark Polanin before his EKG.
Photo by Paul Cook |
EKG screenings alert students to possible heart defects
 About one thousand students were screened for heart defects during their P.E. and health classes on Feb. 18. The EKGs were administered with the help of more than 100 parent volunteers as well as representatives from the Max Schewitz Foundation, which funded the procedures.
School nurse Nancy Clutter, who initiated this endeavor at LCHS, said the screenings went smoothly overall, and she heard many positive comments about the parent volunteers and the behavior and patience of the students.
The non-invasive EKGs were administered in the alternate gym—one side for boys, one side for girls. Students first were prepped for the screening when volunteers placed "stickies," or electrodes, on their upper body as well as on their ankles and wrists. Then, students proceeded to a private area, where trained parent volunteers administered the 10-second EKG and entered data.
Clutter said students and their families can expect to be contacted about the results of the screenings within the next three weeks, either by mail or phone.
LCHS is one of just a handful of area schools who have taken the opportunity to use the services provided by the Max Schewitz Foundation. Young Hearts for Life, the Midwest Heart Foundation, and community physicians also played a role in the day's events. |
