title: Evolution of our knowledge of sudden death due to commotio cordis.
abstract: Commotio cordis refers to circulatory arrest due to a nonpenetrating blow to the chest. First discovered in 1932 in a study using large rabbits, it came to the attention of clinicians who encountered children dying suddenly from a chest blow while engaging in sports activities. This review traces the history of commotio cordis, establishes the conditions necessary for sudden death from a nonpenetrating chest blow, and presents the first ECG record showing that a chest blow landing in the ventricular vulnerable period can produce ventricular fibrillation. The conditions necessary for sustaining ventricular fibrillation and numerous examples of sudden death by commotio cordis are presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2022, USA. geddes@ecn.purdue.edu
authors.forename: Leslie A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Geddes
authors.forename: Rebecca A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Roeder
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005389:Firearms; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000628:therapy; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006688:Hockey / Q000293:injuries; D006708:Homicide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000266:history / Q000503:physiopathology; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications* / Q000266:history / Q000503:physiopathology