Question

Risk Stratification Practice Case Studies

Sarah Walsh is a 36-year-old female. She does not currently exercise. She has no cardiovascular, metabolic, or renal disease. She was diagnoses with a heart murmur at age 9 and it is still present.

Is medical clearance not necessary, recommended, or required? __________________

Explain why:

Answer 1

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) provides guidelines for stratifying clients before exercise testing and prescription(thompson,2010). Stratification enhances safety of exercise participation and aids in exercise programming. Correct stratification requires knowledge of the client's risk factors, some of which may be unavailable to the practitioner.(Matt,2010)

A heart murmur is an unexpected or unusual sound which can be heard in your heart through a stethoscope.They are mostly harmless, but sometimes they can relate to a problem with your heart.(British heart foundation)

Clients who present with symptomatic cardiovascular, pulmonary or metabolic disease must have a doctor's clearance for any level of exercise and will need supervision for maximal and submaximal exercise testing.(Amerian council on Exercise,2012)

Known heart murmur puts her in high risk category .As she may have some cardiovascular disease,so medical clearance and physician supervision is necessary.

ref:

1. American council on exercise,05.11.2012.Health appraisal and risk stratification

2. Thompson WD. ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. 8th ed. Philadelphia (PA): Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2010.

3.Green, Matt Ph.D., FACSM,RISK STRATIFICATION:aug-july 2010, Effective Use of ACSM Guidelines and Integration of Professional Judgment,ACSM's health and fitness journal.