NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Helping high school and college athletic programs prepare for and respond to sudden cardiac emergencies in student athletes is the goal of guidelines published in this month in the journal Heart Rhythm.

Sudden cardiac arrest, or SCA, the leading cause of death in young athletes, occurs after the heart abruptly and unexpectedly stops functioning causing the athlete to collapse. It often occurs in apparently healthy persons, although most victims have underlying heart problems of which they are unaware.

The new guidelines emphasize that prompt recognition of SCA, early activation of local emergency medical services, the presence of an individual trained in CPR, access to an automated external defibrillator are essential to ensuring that athletes receive immediate treatment in the critical few minutes after collapsing.

Automated external defibrillators are portable, consumer-friendly versions of the devices doctors use in the hospital to "jump-start" hearts that have stopped beating. It's estimated that the vast majority of victims of SCA die before they reach the hospital.

The ability to recognize SCA is important not only for athletic trainers, but also coaches, teachers and other lay persons, and "is the first critical step to potentially saving the athlete's life," Dr. Jonathan Drezner said in a statement.

"SCA can be mistaken for other causes of collapse, so responders should assume it's SCA until proven otherwise," said Drezner, associate director of Hall Health Sports Medicine at the University of Washington, Seattle.

Drezner chaired the task force that developed the guidelines. The task force included representatives from 15 national organizations with special interest in SCA and was sponsored by the National Athletic Trainers' Association.

Often, but not always, SCA occurs following a blow to the chest. Young athletes who collapse soon after being struck in the chest by a ball or another player should be suspected of having SCA and an automated defibrillator should used as soon as possible, ideally within 3 to 5 minutes of collapse, the guidelines state.

The guidelines urge high school and college athletic departments to develop a comprehensive emergency SCA plan and to practice using it.

The plan should include an emergency response communication system; first responders trained in CPR and automated external defibrillator use; access to an automated external defibrillator and other emergency equipment for early defibrillation; and a protocol for coordinating with local EMS.