The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) recently introduced reportedly the world’s first performance standard for chest protectors for commotio cordis, and moved it to proposed status.
This action took place during the recent NOCSAE standards meeting in Phoenix.
The new standard applies to baseball and lacrosse, where catchers and goalies are typically the most vulnerable to commotio cordis, which is defined as a heart rhythm disruption caused by a blow to the chest and is one of the leading causes of sudden cardiac death in athletes, according to a media release from NOCSAE.
“This is an unprecedented breakthrough in sports protection,” states Mike Oliver, NOCSAE executive director, in the release.
“Scientists have pinpointed the exact cause of commotio cordis, including the critical moment of occurrence in the cardiac cycle and the required threshold to prevent the injury. These findings have allowed us to create a chest protector standard that will significantly reduce, if not eliminate, the risk of commotio cordis,” he adds.
The NOCSAE board of directors voted to advance the chest protector standard for commotio cordis to proposed status, meaning the standard will remain open for public comment until January 2017, at which time it will be eligible to be voted on as a final standard unless modifications are recommended, the release explains.
For more information, visit NOCSAE.
[Source(s): NOCSAE, PR Newswire]
