Commotio cordis is a condition that causes cardiac arrest if there is a sudden blow to the chest that occurs at a critical point when the heart is electrically recharging. This can occur with an impact of very little force. It is usually caused by a baseball, lacrosse ball, or a hockey puck despite the use of a chest protector. Chest protectors are designed primarily to protect a child from soft tissue damage and bone injury on impact; not as protection from the potentially fatal heart rhythm that can also occur as a result. Wearing a chest protector, thus, creates a false sense of security. Commotio cordis is the second leading cause of death in young athletes while playing baseball, usually occurring between the ages of 7 and 16. Every child is vulnerable.
Symptoms
- Ventricular fibrillation
- Cardiac arrest
Treatment
- It is critical that an automatic external defibrillator (AED) be used in conjunction with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in order for the heart to regain its normal rhythm
- An AED needs to be readily available at all sporting events and practices, as well as someone knowledgeable in its use
Please see link below regarding the ineffectiveness of commercially available baseball and lacrosse chest wall protectors currently on the market.
For full article, please see:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/117/4/e656
For abstract, please see:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/117/4/e656
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