This phenomenon is named commotio cordis—literally "agitation of the heart". The body region of interest here is the precordium, the area of the chest wall lying directly above the heart.

There is a scramble for a loose ball and player M.V. (white arrow) is struck in the chest by the elbow of an opponent. M.V. stumbles but remains upright for a few seconds just prior to full ...

Traumatic sudden death including commotio cordis occurred infrequently (6%). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) resulted in a survival rate of 85% with the use of an automated external defibrillator ...

Commotio cordis is the result of blunt trauma to the heart, and is one of the leading causes of sudden cardiac death in youth sports. Improvements in protective equipment may help prevent it.