How do you pronounce Commotio Cordis? Incidence rate, rarity explored as Damar Hamlin injury trends on social media

NFL star Damar Hamlin is reportedly in a critical condition after suffering a cardiac arrest during a Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals match on Monday night.

Hamlin collapsed to the ground after tackling Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and led to an hour-long suspension for the game. The athlete received on-field medical care for nearly 30 minutes before being rushed to the hospital.

His team later confirmed that the player suffered from cardiac arrest and that his heartbeat was restored on the field after CPR administration. They also mentioned that Hamlin was sedated and undergoing additional testing and treatment.

Damar Hamlin's representative Jordon Rooney took to social media to inform the NFL star’s vitals were “back to normal” but he was placed on a “breathing tube.”

While details surrounding the player’s cardiac arrest have not been made available to the public, experts are of the opinion that Damar Hamlin suffered from a condition called Commotio Cordis. Speaking about Hamlin’s injury Dr. Anthony Cardillo told CNN:

“This is pretty much developing into what we think is Commotio Cordis. This is a traumatic injury to the anterior chest and it has to happen at the exact time when the heart is getting prepared to beat again.”

Vascular cardiologist Dr Bernard Ashby also shared a similar opinion after watching a video of Damar Hamlin’s injury. He said that the athlete’s condition “resembled” Commotio Cordis and hope that “an AED was near” as “timely defibrillation” can be “life saving” and prevent anoxic brain injury:

Commotio Cordis is pronounced as “ko-mo-shio kor-dis.” It is a rare but life-threatening condition that occurs due to a strong blow or impact on the precordial region of the heart and causes disruption to the heart rhythm and disorganizes the pumping function of the heart.

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Exploring the Commotio Cordis condition of the heart

Commotio Cordis is a cardiac condition that occurs when a person faces a strong blow to their chest and the impact disrupts the normal flow of the heart rhythm. According to the University of Connecticut, the condition can be caused by a “low or mild chest wall impact.”

Although the condition may not seem serious at the moment, Healthline reports that it is often fatal and can cause unexpected cardiac death without immediate treatment.

First aid treatment like CPR and defibrillation with AED (automated external defibrillator) can often save a person suffering from Commotio Cordis by restoring the heart’s rhythm.

The condition is also considered to be rare and uncommon. It mostly occurs to teenage male athletes aged between 8 and 18, especially individuals who play sports like hockey, baseball, softball, lacrosse, or any sport involving projectiles that can harm athletes in the middle of their chest.

The term Commotio Cordis is derived from the Latin word meaning “agitation of the heart” and is generally pronounced as “ko-mo-shio kor-dis.”

According to Healthline, the condition occurs when an individual suffers a blow at a specific time during the cycle of a heartbeat and affects an area near the center of the heart’s left ventricle.

Gregory Marcus, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco, shared a similar opinion while speaking to The Washington Post about the condition:

“You must be extremely unlucky to get Commotio cordis — it happens when an impact hits the chest at a very specific moment of the heartbeat, a window that is only 40 milliseconds long, Marcus said.”

While the doctor mentioned that even a heavy impact from a football player is unlikely to cause direct damage to the heart inside the ribcage, the condition can result in an “irregular surge of electricity” which can cause cardiac arrest even in people with no pre-existing heart condition.

Dr. Anthony Cardillo also dubbed the condition as “extremely rare” while speaking to CNN:

“It's almost like getting struck by lightning. It's that rare. There has to be acute trauma to the anterior chest just at that right moment.”

According to the NCBI bookshelf, Commotio Cordis is often considered to be a leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes. Reports suggest that the incident rate is “relatively infrequent” with less than 30 cases being reported each year.

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Experts react to Damar Hamlin’s cardiac condition on social media

Experts are of the opinion that Damar Hamlin suffered from Commotio Cordis (Image via Getty Images)

On Monday, Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field after tackling Tee Higgins during a Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals game. According to The Insider, Higgins strongly collided with Hamlin’s chest and struck his right shoulder near the area of the latter’s heart.

Following the tackle, Hamlin got up in normal form and adjusted his helmet before undergoing a sudden collapse and turning motionless. His team later confirmed that the player suffered from a cardiac arrest.

In the wake of Damar Hamlin’s injury, medical experts took to social media to share their opinion on his condition, with many speculating that the athlete suffered from Commotio Cordis:

Despite the speculations, many experts also said that opinions on Damar Hamlin’s condition cannot be concluded without an analysis of his medical reports. The NFL star’s health reports have not been made available to the public.