Akron Children's > For Healthcare Professionals > Providers > Continuing Professional Development

Grand Rounds: Faint but not falling: Dysautonomia and POTS in the Adolescent Athlete

03-06-2026

By Ari Gartenberg, MD, Pediatric Interventional Cardiologist, and Monica Rondinelli, MD, Pediatric Neurologist , Akron Children's

Neurology , Heart Center

More about Monica Rondinelli, MD
More about Ari Gartenberg, MD

Objectives (Educational Content) :

1. Define pathophysiology of POTS and Dysautonomia.

2. Review common symptoms of dysautonomia in high performing athletes.

3.Overview of treatment and lifestyle management of dysautonomia in athletes.

Target Audience:

General pediatricians, family physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, social workers, psychologists, and nurses.

Identified Gap:

Healthcare providers caring for adolescent athletes often lack sufficient knowledge and diagnostic confidence to recognize Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and other forms of dysautonomia, leading to delayed identification, misattribution of symptoms, and inconsistent management strategies. Limited training on the underlying pathophysiology, the unique symptom presentation in high-performing athletes, and evidence-based treatment and lifestyle interventions contributes to variability in care. Education is needed to improve clinicians’ understanding of POTS and dysautonomia and to strengthen their ability to implement effective, athlete-specific management plans.

Estimated Time to Complete the Educational Activity:

1 hour(s)

Expiration Date for CE/CME Credit:

03-05-2027

Method of Participation in the Learning Process:

The learner will view the presentation, successfully complete a post-test and complete an activity evaluation.

Evaluation Methods:

All learners must successfully complete a post-test, as well as an activity evaluation, to claim CE/CME credit.

Disclosure:

The speaker(s) has returned the disclosure form, indicating that there are no financial relationships with ineligible companies: Ari Gartenberg, MD Monica Rondinelli, MD The following CME Committee/Planning Committee member(s) has the following financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose: Merck - Maria Cristina Victorio, MD All financial relationships have been mitigated.

Accreditation Statement:

Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Akron is accredited by the Ohio State Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

CHMCA designates this enduring material activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit TM. Physicians should only claim the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.