Which area of the heart is most often affected by commotio cordis leading to ventricular fibrillation?

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Commotio cordis is a condition caused by a sudden blunt impact to the chest that leads to a disturbance in the heart’s electrical rhythm, often resulting in ventricular fibrillation, which is a life-threatening arrhythmia. The heart area most commonly affected by commotio cordis is the left ventricle, which is crucial because it is the chamber responsible for pumping oxygenated blood to the body.

The left ventricle's anatomy and position make it particularly vulnerable to external forces, especially during activities that involve high-velocity strikes to the chest, such as contact sports. The occurrence of ventricular fibrillation due to trauma to this area can be facilitated when the timing of the impact aligns with the vulnerable phase of the cardiac cycle, typically during the repolarization phase (the T wave), exacerbating the likelihood of a lethal arrhythmia.

In contrast, while other chambers of the heart such as the right ventricle, left atrium, and right atrium are essential for cardiac function, they do not usually experience the same incidence of electrical disruption via commotio cordis as the left ventricle. The left ventricle’s significant role in systemic circulation and its exposure to blunt force trauma make it the predominant chamber affected

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