One of the most terrifying sights on a sports field is game-stopping, and at times game-ending injuries.  This happened on December 16th, 2023 during an English Premiere League match between Luton Town and AFC Bournemouth.  Luton captain Tom Lockyer suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field during the match, receiving care for about seven minutes before being carried away on a stretcher. 

Lockyer received additional medical treatment in the stadium’s medical facilities, before being transported to a local hospital.  The footballer credits his recovery to the medical staff and their quick actions, calling attention to learning CPR.  

Dr. Abraham Kocheril, director of Cardiac Electrophysiology at OSF Healthcare Cardiovascular Institute in Urbana, Illinois, says his interest in athletes and sudden cardiac death started back in 1993.  Dr. Kocheril was at the Medical College of Georgia at the time and began focusing on cardiac arrests in sports as a large part of his research.  

He says an underlying condition is the main reason athletes suffer cardiac arrests during a sports match.  Underlying conditions could be coronary artery disease, an irregular heartbeat, or a congenital heart defect.

For kids, Dr. Kocheril says, cardiac arrests in athletics normally come from conditions they were born with such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or HCM.  It affects the heart’s left ventricle, which is the main pumping chamber of the heart.  Only .2% of athletes have these kinds of conditions according to the Dr. 

Lockyer’s cardiac arrest has happened before.  In June 2021, Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch during Euro 2020.  Similarly, he received treatment on and off the pitch and lived.  Nine months later, Eriksen returned to competitive play and now plays for Manchester United. 

Eriksen wears an implantable cardioverter defibrillator or ICD, a small electronic device connected to the heart that monitors the heart and regulates electrical problems.  A different soccer player named Anthony Van Loo had something similar.

Awareness before athletic events is crucial.  Athletes should be aware of chest discomfort, shortness of breath, dizziness, unusual sweating, heart rhythm abnormalities, and discomfort in other areas of the body.

CPR and having an AED nearby is important.

Performing CPR right away is important as it could save a life. 

If you have any concerns reach out to your primary care provider who may refer you to a cardiologoy specialist for appropriate screenings.