What happens if a baseball hits you in the chest?

Commotio cordis occurs when a person is hit in the chest and that impact triggers a dramatic change in the rhythm of their heart. The blow could come from an object, such as a baseball or hockey puck, and may not seem especially serious in the moment. However, commotio cordis is often fatal.

How do you treat a blunt trauma to the chest?

Management of blunt chest trauma focuses on a combination of effective analgesia, surgical fixation, chest physiotherapy, respiratory care and early mobilisation [11,12].

What injury will result from blunt trauma to the chest wall?

The most common injury in blunt thoracic trauma is chest wall injury, which also includes rib fractures. When bone fractures are mentioned, not only rib fractures but also clavicle and sternum fractures should be considered.

What is the most common site of injury from blunt chest trauma?

Ribs. Rib fractures are the most common injury in blunt chest trauma, occurring in 50% of cases. A single rib fracture is usually not clinically significant, whereas multiple rib fractures indicate severe injury.

Should I be worried if I get hit in the chest?

Chest injuries that interfere with breathing or circulation can be serious or life threatening. If the injury is severe, there may be internal bleeding. This might be obvious (e.g. coughing up blood), or not so obvious (e.g. pale and clammy skin, nausea, extreme thirst).

Can hitting your chest stop your heart?

If a person is struck in the chest at a specific time in the heart rhythm cycle, the heart’s electrical signal can be interrupted, resulting in the heart stopping.

How long do chest injuries take to heal?

The amount of pain you feel and how long it may last for will depend on the type of injury you have and how badly you have been hurt. As a rough guide, fractured ribs and sternums take about 4-6 weeks to heal and it is usual to still feel some discomfort after this time. Bruising can take between 2-4 weeks to heal.

Can you bruise your lungs?

Pulmonary contusion is another name for a bruised lung. A blow to your chest, such as from hitting a car steering wheel or air bag, can bruise your lung. If the injury isn’t too bad, you may feel some soreness in your chest and then start to feel better in a few days.