Abstract des Autors

We examined 992 disqualifying conditions for competitive sport. The survey covers 61,554 examinations (80.3% tested on a male population) carried out as periodical screenings at the Servizio di Medicina dello Sport, ULSS 21, Padova, Italy over the past 11 years. 927 (3.2%) athletes out of 28,704 were considered to be unfit; 784 of these were males (8457%) and 143 were females (15.4%). The correlation between unfitness and the various systems was examined. The results were as follows: 1) cardiovascular diseases 534 (57.6% of the unfit athletes, including the 154 (28.8%) suffering from hypertension; 2) orthopedic disorders 118 (27.7%); 3) eye disorders 114 (12.3%); 4) neurological disorders 40 (4.3%); 5) respiratory disorders 33 (3.5%); 6) kidney and urinary diseases 30 (3.2%); 7) disorders concerning 6 other systems. The analysis pointed out not only typically age-group related diseases (such as high blood pressure in adults over 30 years of age, coronary artery diseases over the age of 43, paramorphisms and osteochondrosis in teenagers) but also unrelated ones (i.e. ventricular pre-excitation, hernias, shortsightedness). The authors' conclusion is that the screened population at the Servizio di Medicina dello Sport is not pre-selected. 173 (17.4%) athletes out of 992 evaluated as unfit made an appeal at the Commissione Regionale d'Appello della Regione Veneto. The evaluation was confirmed in 69 cases (39.8%), it was more favourable in 63 cases (36.4%); 41 cases were suspended or abrogated for various reasons. As far as the different systems were concerned, a high percentage of athlets' appeals related to the pathology of eyes were admitted (44.7%) overcoming the more FMSI-Coni guidelines (a revision of which is advisable) whereas the appeals for cardiovascular diseases were accepted in only 28.8% cases confirming the validity of the cardiovascular protocols still being used; in the authors' opinion an up-to-date revision should be introduced only for people suffering from first grade hypertension: these might get a more favourable evaluation of fitness after normal cardiovascular response to exercise with medications. Finally, a less strict evaluation of people suffering from either clinical of instrumental epilepsy (which is the most frequent cause of unfitness for neurological diseases) might be necessary since a more uniform and less severe protocol is desirable. Verf.-Referat