Successful resuscitation after sudden death in a one year old infant who sustained a blunt chest injury after a fall from 10 m.
Sudden cardiac arrest due to blunt anterior chest wall impact (Commotio Cordis) usually occurs in young athletes who are struck by a baseball or other projectile in the precordium. Survival is extremely rare if the induced ventricular fibrillation (VF) is not defibrillated immediately at the scene. We report here a rare case of a one-year-old infant survivor of cardiac arrest caused by blunt chest impact during an accidental fall from a fourth story window. Eye witnesses reported to have seen him land on the front of his chest directly onto the plastic rain cover on the ground floor. He was transferred to a nearby hospital within minutes, where ventricular fibrillation was recorded. Immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation and was successful. He recovered without any subsequent sequelae. To the best of our knowledge, this rare incident represents the first time that an infant has survived such cardiac arrest in these circumstances that has been recorded in the literature. This has implications for the management of paediatric fall injuries.
Lee
Chien-Chang
CC
Department of Emergency Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital No.7, Chun-Shan South Road, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chang
Wei-Tien
WT
Chen
Shyr-Chyr
SC
Yen
Zui-Shen
ZS
Chen
Wen-Jone
WJ
D000058:Accidental Falls; D000322:Adrenergic Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000379:methods; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications*
D000322:Adrenergic Agonists; D004837:Epinephrine