Medical Examiner
By Iliana Limon and Kyle Hightower, The Orlando Sentinel, Fla.
Jul. 18–University of Central Florida football player Ereck Plancher had a medical condition — sickle-cell trait — that put him at risk for sudden death under physical stress, according to a statement released Thursday by the Office of the Medical Examiner for Orange and Osceola Counties.
Plancher, a 19-year-old freshman wide receiver from Naples, collapsed during a March 18 off-season conditioning workout supervised by UCF coach George O’Leary and his staff. Plancher was taken to a nearby hospital and died less than an hour later.
The Medical Examiner’s Office stated after examination of Plancher’s body, review of available medical records, toxicology analysis and numerous other tests, that Plancher’s death was the result of "dysrhythmia due to acute exertional rhabdomyolysis with sickle cell trait."
The sickle-cell trait can hamper the ability of cells to carry oxygen and has been cited as the cause of sudden death of numerous athletes after strenuous exercise — including FSU freshman Devaughn Darling, who collapsed during off-season conditioning drills in 2001.
The National Athletic Trainers Association in 2007 called for athletes with sickle-cell trait to be withheld from activity when symptoms arise. An athlete should be pulled from training immediately if he or she experiences such symptoms as muscle cramping, pain, swelling, weakness, tenderness, inability to "catch breath" or fatigue, the guidelines state.
Players in the workout with Plancher told the Sentinel in April that he was gasping for breath and staggering before he collapsed on the day of his death.
UCF spokesman Grant Heston said Thursday that school officials were aware Plancher had tested positive for sickle-cell trait. But Heston said testing positive does not disqualify students from participation in athletics.
Previously, UCF officials had told the Sentinel in numerous interviews that Plancher had passed two physical examinations and had been cleared to play.
Said O’Leary in March: "Every athlete goes through a very thorough physical. They also fill out a questionnaire. We follow up on anything stringently."
The sickle-cell trait is not the same as sickle-cell anemia, a serious inherited disorder that leads to severe pain, recurrent infections and other problems.
Doctors need to do a specific screening to determine that someone has sickle-cell trait, said Dr. Lee Zehngebot, a Florida Hospital hematologist and oncologist.
However, Zehngebot said some research suggests that sudden, unexplained death is much more common in people with sickle-cell trait. In one study, doctors examined records of all deaths among 2million U.S. military recruits from 1977 to 1981. They found the risk of sudden death was much greater for those with the trait, all of whom had experienced physical exertion.
The medical examiner’s tests did not reveal any internal or external trauma. Toxicology tests also found no illicit drugs or toxins.
The Medical Examiner’s Office has not released the complete autopsy report.
Heston said UCF received the initial statement from the medical examiner about Plancher’s death.
"Our prayers remain with Ereck’s loved ones as they continue to cope with his loss," Heston said. "The health of our student-athletes is our top priority. We will review the complete report as soon as it is available and respond appropriately at that time."
The Plancher family could not be reached for comment Thursday.
There are conflicting accounts about what happened during Plancher’s final workout.
Four UCF players told the Sentinel the drills were far more strenuous than those described by O’Leary and other UCF officials as "non-taxing" and said Plancher struggled near the end of the workout. The players were granted anonymity because they said they feared losing their scholarships.
O’Leary and members of the coaching staff denied the players’ accounts.
An initial autopsy March 19 was inconclusive.
Sentinel reporter Robyn Shelton contributed to this report. Kyle Hightower can be reached at khightower@orlandosentinel.com. Iliana Limon can be reached at ilimon@orlandosentinel.com.
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