A brand new screening programme for SADS (Sudden Adult Death Syndrome) will be initiated later this month, with the goal of detecting early signs of the disease and thus prevent death.
People as young as eight years of age will be screened at the Mater Hospital Hospital in Dublin. 1,100 people have been screened so far, but the new initiative will allow for doctors to look at results from adults and children together.
Speaking about the programme, Paediatric Cardiologist Dr Terry Prendiville said:
“We’ll be seeing children, their siblings and parents, along with their extended family members referred in by their GPs or consultants for family screening.
“We anticipate a large clinical need for such a service and we’ll combine our skill in Crumlin with the resources at the Mater to provide the service under the one roof at the Mater Hospital.”