COMMOTIO CORDIS: ANOTHER CARDIAC ARREST “SINE MATERIA” The 1707 early report and interpretation by Giovanni Maria Lancisi

•Sudden death by commotio cordis is the consequence of a blunt chest trauma•Ventricular fibrillation is the mechanism in the absence of myocardial injury•It has been reproduced in animal experiments•Historically, it was first reported by Lancisi's in “De Subitaneis Mortibus”, 1707•Lancisi postulated that commotion cordis is due to diastolic standstill