one guy in new jersey wrote: “...gas_dr, DugwayDuke unavailable for comment at the time this posting went to press..”
Commotio cordis
Commotio cordis (Latin, “agitation of the heart”) is an often lethal disruption of heart rhythm that occurs as a result of a blow to the area directly over the heart (the precordial region) at a critical time during the cycle of a heartbeat. This leads to commotio cordis by disrupting the normal heart electrical activity, followed instantly by ventricular fibrillation and complete disorganization of the heart’s pumping function. It is not an event caused by mechanical damage to the heart muscle or surrounding organs and is not the result of heart disease.
Over a period of assessment from 2006–12, the survival rate was 58 percent, which was an improvement over the years 1993–2006 when only 34 percent of victims survived. This increase is likely due to prompt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), access to defibrillation, and higher public awareness of this phenomenon.
Commotio cordis occurs mostly in boys and young men (average age 15), usually during sports, most frequently baseball, often despite a chest protector. It is usually caused by a projectile, but can also be caused by the blow of an elbow or other body part. Being less developed, the thorax of an adolescent is likely more prone to this injury than a mature adult.
The phenomenon was confirmed experimentally in the 1930s with research in anesthetized rabbits, cats and dogs.
Potential for sudden death
Due to ventricular fibrillation and resultant cessation of the cardiac output to vital organs, commotio cordis has a high fatality rate, indicated by two studies to be 72–75% with survival decreasing substantially if effective resuscitation is not performed within three minutes of the impact event. In a United States timeline analysis, survival was only 10% over the years 1970–1993, while during 1994–2012, survival was 34%. Higher survival rates occurred with immediate resuscitation by using cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use of an on-site automated external defibrillator (40% survival if under three minutes; 5% survival if more than three minutes). During the early 21st century, survival rates continued to improve to 58% of cases.
Yes.
Of course.
That’s the currently acceptable narrative.