Commotio Cordis in Children, Including a Translation of the First Paper That Describes the Condition

Abstract

A nonpenetrating blow to the chest may cause sudden death to children engaged in sports, such as baseball, hockey, etc. This condition is known as commotio cordis. The circulatory arrest associated with commotio cordis is due to atrioventricular block or ventricular fibrillation because the projectile struck the chest during the ventricular vulnerable period. Therefore, all medical personnel who encounter a child with circulatory arrest should be aware of commotio cordis as the causative factor and be prepared to apply CPR immediately. The cause for the circulatory arrest can only be confirmed by the ECG demonstrating ventricular fibrillation.