Sudden death in high school athletes: a case series examining the influences of sickle cell trait

Introduction: In the United States, 8% of African-Americans, 0.5% of Hispanics and 0.2% of Caucasians have sickle cell trait (SCT). Traditionally believed to be benign, SCT is associated with exercise-related sudden death and exertional rhabdomyolysis. Military recruits with SCT have a 40-fold increased risk of sudden death compared to their counterparts without SCT. We will present the first case series of fatal exertional rhabdomyolysis associated with SCT in high school athletes. Case series: A 14-yr-old male with SCT collapsed on the field during a conditioning session, was taken to a …