Commotio cordis is sudden cardiac arrest caused by a blunt, non-penetrating blow to the chest — not by an underlying heart condition. The chest wall itself is intact, but the impact arrives at a precise moment in the heart’s electrical cycle, triggering ventricular fibrillation. It is almost always associated with sporting activities involving a fast-moving projectile, such as cricket, baseball, ice hockey, or lacrosse.
It most commonly affects young males in their teens and early twenties, whose chest walls are more compliant than those of adults, making the electrical disruption more likely. The heart does not need to be diseased or structurally abnormal for commotio cordis to occur — it can happen to any young person in the wrong circumstances.
Survival depends entirely on how quickly CPR and defibrillation are delivered. Without immediate intervention, commotio cordis is almost universally fatal. With rapid CPR and AED use, survival rates have improved significantly. This is why the presence of AEDs at sports venues and schools, and CPR training among coaches and sports staff, is particularly important in the context of youth sport.
If your child plays contact or projectile sports, it is worth confirming that coaches are trained in CPR and that an AED is accessible at the venue.