Heart Rhythm
Volume 6, Issue 10 , Pages 1495-1500 , October 2009

Precordial thump for cardiac arrest is effective for asystole but not for ventricular fibrillation

  • Christopher Madias, MD

      Affiliations

    • Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, Division of Cardiology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
    • ,
  • Barry J. Maron, MD

      Affiliations

    • Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, Minneapolis, Minnesota
    • ,
  • Alawi A. Alsheikh-Ali, MD, MS

      Affiliations

    • Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, Division of Cardiology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
    • Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
    • ,
  • Mohammad Rajab, MD

      Affiliations

    • Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, Division of Cardiology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
    • ,
  • N.A. Mark Estes III, MD, FHRS

      Affiliations

    • Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, Division of Cardiology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
    • ,
  • Mark S. Link, MD

      Affiliations

    • Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, Division of Cardiology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress reprint requests and correspondence: Dr. Mark S. Link, Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, Division of Cardiology, Tufts Medical Center, 800 Washington Street, Box 197, Boston, Massachusetts 02111

Received 28 April 2009 ,Accepted 20 June 2009.

References 

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  2. Patros RJ, Goren CC. The precordial thump: an adjunct to emergency medicine. Heart Lung. 1983;12:61–64
  3. Caldwell G, Millar G, Quinn E, Vincent R, Chamberlain DA. Simple mechanical methods for cardioversion: defence of the precordial thump and cough version. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1985;291:627–630
  4. Gibbons JJ, Ditto FF. Sudden asystole after spinal anesthesia treated with the “pacing thump.”. Anesthesiology. 1991;75:705
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  10. Link MS, Wang PJ, Pandian NG, et al. An experimental model of sudden death due to low-energy chest-wall impact (commotio cordis). N Engl J Med. 1998;338:1805–1811
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  12. Madias C, Maron BJ, Alsheikh-Ali AA, Estes NAM, Link MS. Commotio cordis. Indian Pacing Electrophysiol J. 2007;7:235–245
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  14. Zoll PM, Belgard AH, Weintraub MJ, Frank HA. External mechanical cardiac stimulation. N Engl J Med. 1976;294:1274–1275
  15. Zeh E, Rahner E. The manual extrathoracic stimulation of the heart (Technique and effect of the precordial thump (author's transl)). Z Kardiol. 1978;67:299–304
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  19. Haman L, Parizek P, Vojacek J. Precordial thump efficacy in termination of induced ventricular arrhythmias. Resuscitation. 2009;80:14–16
  20. Miller JM, Bhakta D. The precordial thump: convertio cordis, commotio cordis, or neither?. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 2007;30:151–152
  21. Kohl P, Nesbitt AD, Cooper PJ, Lei M. Sudden cardiac death by commotio cordis: role of mechano-electric feedback. Cardiovasc Res. 2001;50:280–289
  22. Madias C, Maron BJ, Weinstock J, Estes NAM, Link MS. Commotio cordis—sudden cardiac death with chest wall impact. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2007;18:115–122
  23. Li W, Kohl P, Trayanova N. Myocardial ischemia lowers precordial thump efficacy: an inquiry into mechanisms using three-dimensional simulations. Heart Rhythm. 2006;3:179–186
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  26. Koster RW. Precordial thump: friend or enemy?. Resuscitation. 2009;80:2–3

 Funding for this study was provided by the Louis J. Acompora Foundation.

PII: S1547-5271(09)00687-0

doi: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2009.06.029

Heart Rhythm
Volume 6, Issue 10 , Pages 1495-1500 , October 2009

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