Commotio Cordis in 2023

Abstract

Since the nationally televised cardiac arrest of American National Football League player Damar Hamlin in January 2023, commotio cordis has come to the forefront of public attention. Commotio cordis is defined as sudden cardiac arrest due to direct trauma to the precordium resulting in ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia. While the precise incidence of commotio cordis is not known due to a lack of standardized, mandated reporting, it is the third most common cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes, with more than 75% of cases occurring during organized and recreational sporting events. Given that survival is closely tied to how quickly victims receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation, it is crucial to raise awareness of commotio cordis so that athletic trainers, coaches, team physicians, and emergency medical personnel can rapidly diagnose and treat this often-fatal condition. Broader distribution of automated external defibrillators in sporting facilities as well as increased presence of medical personnel during sporting events would also likely lead to higher survival rates.

Demographic Factors and Bystander CPR in Nigerian Athletes

“…According to Peng et al [36], since the nationally televised cardiac arrest of American National Football League player Damar Hamlin in January 2023, commotio cordis has come to the forefront of public attention. Commotio cordis is defined as sudden cardiac arrest due to direct trauma to the precordium resulting in ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia [16].…”

“…Commotio cordis is defined as sudden cardiac arrest due to direct trauma to the precordium resulting in ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia [16]. Given that survival is closely tied to how quickly victims receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation, it is crucial to raise awareness of commotio cordis so that athletic trainers, coaches, team physicians, and emergency medical personnel can rapidly diagnose and treat this often-fatal condition [36]. Also, it is known that emergency planning for the cardiovascular care of athletes in medical distress may differ based on the age of the athlete, sport, level of competition, venue and geographic layout of the event [13,37].…”

Traumatic Cardiac Arrest—A Narrative Review

“…Cardiac contusion after high-energy thoracic impact may cause TCA [55]. Publicly known cases occur in sports, e.g., football [56,57], but are also relevant in the non-sport setting [58]. Resuscitation of TCA after cardiac contusion primarily follows A(C)LS guidelines, with rapid initiation of high-quality CPR, including early defibrillation upon indication, as the main components of resuscitation.…”

The Science Behind the Standardization of Chest Protectors: Is Marketing Alone Enough to Sell Chest Protectors?... Not Anymore!

“…In the United States, <20 cases are reported annually, with >75% of cases occurring during sports and twothirds occurring during organized competitive sports. 3,4 Early series suggested commotio cordis to be the second leading cause of death in athletes. 5 However, a recent series of deaths in the National Collegiate Athletics Association described just 2 of the 127 sudden deaths over than 20 years as due to commotio cordis.…”

“…In response, continuous efforts have focused on increasing awareness of this condition and improving athletic equipment standards, particularly with the development of chest protectors. 3 Historically, the development of chest protectors had been delegated to the companies who designed and commercialized their products without the need for rigorous scientific proof, and today, there are hundreds of options.…”