Re: Check out Arizona Little Leaguer Killed After Pitch Hits Chest

[Guest guest]

Commotio cordis is survived only by about 30-35% of people who experience it.

It would seem to be the ultimate " bad luck " to receive a strike in exactly the

right place, during the exact time in the cardiac cycle when the heart is

vulnerable.

GG

Check out Arizona Little Leaguer Killed After Pitch Hits

Chest

_Click here: Arizona Little Leaguer Killed After Pitch Hits Chest_

(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/03/arizona-little-leaguer-killed_n_871253\

..htm

l?icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl1|sec1_lnk3|215104)

a strong argument for chest protectors for each batter and AEDs in every

ball park.

ck

[Guest guest]

Kenny Navarro did a class on this a few years ago at the Texas EMS Conference.

It is definitely a call for immediate AED availability at sports facilities.

Kenny: Do you have a link to put out for more information?

Steve

________________________________

From: texasems-l on behalf of Wegandy

Sent: Sat 6/4/2011 11:48 PM

To: texasems-l

Subject: Re: Check out Arizona Little Leaguer Killed After Pitch

Hits Chest

Commotio cordis is survived only by about 30-35% of people who experience it. It

would seem to be the ultimate " bad luck " to receive a strike in exactly the

right place, during the exact time in the cardiac cycle when the heart is

vulnerable.

GG

Check out Arizona Little Leaguer Killed After Pitch Hits

Chest

_Click here: Arizona Little Leaguer Killed After Pitch Hits Chest_

(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/03/arizona-little-leaguer-killed_n_871253\

..htm

l?icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl1|sec1_lnk3|215104)

a strong argument for chest protectors for each batter and AEDs in every

ball park.

ck

[Guest guest]

There is little doubt that this is commotio cordis. There are four factors that

must align in order to produce this condition; projectile size, speed upon

impact, location of impact, and timing.

The most common age for commotio cordis is about 12-13 years. Much older and

the chest musculature absorbs some of the impact and prevents the force from

opening the sodium channels in the myocardium (which produces the fibrillation

wave).

Although other objects have produced these type of deaths, the most common

projectile in the US Commotio Cordis Registry is a baseball. Basketballs

usually have a point of contact that is too big and footballs create an impact

point that is too small. Rounding out the top four projectiles ( in order of

frequency) are hockey pucks, softballs, and lacrosse balls.

It generally takes a speed of about 40 mph to produce commotio cordis. This is

the speed of an average little league pitch.

The contact point is usually directly over the cardiac silhouette. Too far off

the silhouette may produce transient blocks and syncope, but is not usually

fatal. Media reports indicate that the impact was in the center of the chest.

Finally, the impact must occur about 10-15 milliseconds before the peak of the T

wave, during a vulnerable phase of the cardiac conduction cycle. There is no

way for us to know that from the media reports, but as they say in latin " res

ipsa loquitur. "

The child fits the clinical profile perfectly.

Thank you Steve for paying attention. It is nice to know that at least one

person who attended also listened.

Kenny Navarro

Dallas

>

> Kenny Navarro did a class on this a few years ago at the Texas EMS Conference.

It is definitely a call for immediate AED availability at sports facilities.

>

> Kenny: Do you have a link to put out for more information?

>

> Steve

>

>

>

> ________________________________

>

> From: texasems-l on behalf of Wegandy

> Sent: Sat 6/4/2011 11:48 PM

> To: texasems-l

> Subject: Re: Check out Arizona Little Leaguer Killed After Pitch

Hits Chest

>

>

>

>

> Commotio cordis is survived only by about 30-35% of people who experience it.

It would seem to be the ultimate " bad luck " to receive a strike in exactly the

right place, during the exact time in the cardiac cycle when the heart is

vulnerable.

>

> GG

>

> Check out Arizona Little Leaguer Killed After Pitch Hits

Chest

>

> _Click here: Arizona Little Leaguer Killed After Pitch Hits Chest_

>

(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/03/arizona-little-leaguer-killed_n_871253\

..htm

> l?icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl1|sec1_lnk3|215104)

>

> a strong argument for chest protectors for each batter and AEDs in every

> ball park.

>

> ck

>

>