March 2, 2006PEDIATRICS
Failure of Commercially Available Chest Wall Protectors to Prevent Sudden Cardiac Death Induced by Chest Wall Blows in an Experimental Model of Commotio Cordis
Key result
Commercially available baseball and lacrosse chest wall protectors did not significantly decrease the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation from 40-mph chest blows in a juvenile swine model.
Why the study?
Do commercially available chest wall protectors prevent ventricular fibrillation induced by chest wall blows in an experimental model of commotio cordis?
Population
Juvenile swines in an experimental model of commotio cordis subjected to 40-mph baseball or lacrosse ball…
Comparison
12 different commercially available baseball or… vs Control impacts without chest protectors
Design
Preclinical, Sequence of impacts assigned randomly
Authors
Discussion
Loading...
Member takes
Implication
Current protectors lack efficacy in swine commotio cordis model; leaves open whether redesigned devices merit human testing.
Key Points
- To evaluate the efficacy of commercially available baseball and lacrosse chest protectors in preventing ventricular fibrillation caused by blunt chest wall strikes in an experimental model of commotio cordis.
- Tested 12 commercial chest protectors (7 baseball and 5 lacrosse) in juvenile swine subjected to 40-mph projectile blows delivered to the precordium.
- Timed impacts to the vulnerable period of cardiac repolarization for triggering ventricular fibrillation.
- Administered 2 impacts per protector and 2 unprotected control impacts to each animal in a randomized sequence.
- Ventricular fibrillation occurred after 32% (12/37) of strikes in unprotected control animals hit by baseballs, with none of the 7 baseball chest protectors significantly reducing VF incidence.
- Ventricular fibrillation occurred after 46% (11/24) of strikes in unprotected control animals hit by lacrosse balls, with none of the 5 lacrosse chest protectors significantly decreasing VF incidence.
Structured PICO
Do commercially available chest wall protectors prevent ventricular fibrillation induced by chest wall blows in an experimental model of commotio cordis?
P
Population
Juvenile swines in an experimental model of commotio cordis subjected to 40-mph baseball or lacrosse ball blows to the precordium during the vulnerable period of repolarization for ventricular fibrillation
I
Intervention
12 different commercially available baseball or lacrosse chest protectors (7 baseball, 5 lacrosse)
C
Comparator
Control impacts without chest protectors
O
Outcome
Occurrence of ventricular fibrillation (VF)hard clinical
Commercially available baseball and lacrosse chest protectors are ineffective in preventing ventricular fibrillation from chest blows in a swine model of commotio cordis.
Cite This Study
Weinstock et al. (2006) studied Commotio cordis. Commercially available baseball and lacrosse chest wall protectors vs. Control impacts without chest protectors was evaluated on Occurrence of ventricular fibrillation (VF). Commercially available baseball and lacrosse chest wall protectors did not significantly decrease the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation from 40-mph chest blows in a juvenile swine model.