title: Commotio Cordis and complete heart block: Where is the block level?
abstract: Ventricular fibrillation is typically the initial arrhythmia in commotio cordis following precordium impacts that occur within an electrically vulnerable period of the cardiac cycle. Conversely, complete heart block is very rare in this context, and its mechanism and temporal course are poorly understood. The presented case concerns a 12-year-old boy, athletic skier, who developed a transient complete heart block following commotio cordis. The electrocardiographic features, the proposed block level and mechanisms of complete heart block following commotio cordis are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology Unit II, Humanitas Gavazzeni Clinics, Bergamo, Italy. Electronic address: hussamali.ep@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hussam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology Unit II, Humanitas Gavazzeni Clinics, Bergamo, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Furlanello
authors.affiliation: Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology Unit II, Humanitas Gavazzeni Clinics, Bergamo, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierpaolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lupo
authors.affiliation: Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology Unit II, Humanitas Gavazzeni Clinics, Bergamo, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Foresti
authors.affiliation: Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology Unit II, Humanitas Gavazzeni Clinics, Bergamo, Italy.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Ambroggi
authors.affiliation: Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology Unit II, Humanitas Gavazzeni Clinics, Bergamo, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Epicoco
authors.affiliation: Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology Unit II, Humanitas Gavazzeni Clinics, Bergamo, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fundaliotis
authors.affiliation: Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology Research Center, Humanitas Clinical & Research Center, Rozzano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cappato
mesh_terms: D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D056104:Commotio Cordis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D006327:Heart Block / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012865:Skiing / Q000293:injuries*
keywords: Bundle branch block; Commotio cordis; Complete heart block