More than 60 high schools throughout the Phoenix area are expected to participate in the TOPS event on Saturday, April 28, which will include cardiac testing using advanced Philips solutions, such as the PageWriter ElectroCardiographs (ECG) and the iE33 ultrasound system. Philips' HeartStart MRx monitor/defibrillator also will be demonstrated. The innovative HeartStart MRx allows paramedics to quickly acquire and wirelessly transmit a patient's 12-Lead ECG data to the emergency department and/or other hospital locations, helping avoid unnecessary delays in treatment. This wireless capability allows school districts performing cardiac testing the choice of having ECGs read by a cardiologist at each school, or transmitted to a centralized location serving multiple schools.

"As part of our ongoing commitment to the Save an Athlete campaign, Philips is proud to support TOPS' efforts to uncover heart conditions in student athletes that may lead to sudden death," said Michael Miller, senior vice president, Cardiac Care, for Philips Medical Systems. "Philips is pleased to offer its best-in-class cardiology systems for this crucial cause. It is our hope that other communities and athletic ogranizations will adopt TOPS' successful model and provide sports physicals with cardiac testing to their young athletes."


In addition, this year's event will feature an informative seminar on how communities can work together to stage their own free sports physicals with cardiac testing event. The seminar will include a hosted tour of the TOPS event and an overview of how it is organized. The seminar will also be attended by executives from the national office of the National Football Foundation, an organization promoting and developing the power of amateur football through the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the drive for academic excellence in America's youth. The organization strives to make athletics better for kids, while empowering kids through athletics.

To learn more about the importance of cardiac testing in conjunction with sports physicals, student athletes, parents, healthcare providers and athletic officials are encouraged to visit www.saveanathlete.org. The Web site offers more details on the issue, how to get involved and, coming soon, a handbook for organizing your own event.

About TOPS (Team of Physicians for Students)

Based in Phoenix, Arizona, TOPS works to promote the well being of high school and college student athletes by providing sports physicals with cardiac testing, free of charge, to all students participating in interscholastic athletics or associated activities. Dr. Paul Steingard, Dr. William Rappoport and a group of dedicated volunteers recognize that including cardiac testing with sports physicals could help identify students at risk for sudden death. Since 2002 (check date), TOPS has provided sports physicals with cardiac testing to approximatley 7,500 Phoenix-area student athletes in over 80 local high schools.

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