Can Winding Injuries Be Fatal? What is the mechanism? Is the diaphragm involved?
This informal paper discusses low-velocity blunt trauma to the chest and abdomen. It covers the paucity of research on winding injuries (solar or celiac plexus syndrome) in which "diaphragm spasm" is reported to cause the temporary inability to breathe in. More severe winding injuries could cause hypoxic syncope and even cardiac arrest if prolonged. Sadly, such fatalities would go on to be erroneously diagnosed with traumatic cardiac arrest or commotio cordis, thus skewing the clinical presentations of winding injuries. It also includes a discussion of the Damar Hamlin injury (NFL footballer) and commotio cordis.
Getting the wind knocked out of you can be terrifying, but it's not life-threatening. Getting the wind knocked out of you is actually a diaphragmatic spasm caused when a sudden force is applied to the celiac plexus.@dov jordan
Thank you for your response Ali Alchlaihawi . What I'm proposing is, "what happens if you don't catch your breath in time" (before the diaphragm spasm "lets go")? Hypoxic syncope would occur followed by cardiac arrest in 2 min. So, it may be incorrect to think all winding injuries are nonlethal (celiac/solar plexus syndrome).
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