Defibrillators for Lacrosse

From the Baltimore Business Journal

U.S. Lacrosse said Tuesday it's teaming up with a cardiac monitoring manufacturer to get teams and leagues to have defibrillators ready on the sidelines at games.

Cardiac Science Corp. (NASDAQ: CSCX) will offer Baltimore-based U.S. Lacrosse's 250,000 national members a discounted price on the company's Powerheart automated external defibrillators.

The defibrillators use an electric shock to jolt a heart back into rhythm in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest. Since 1999, at least five players have died during live lacrosse competition as a result of sudden cardiac arrest, according to U.S. Lacrosse officials.

Bothell, Wash.-based Cardiac Science will offer the defibrillators to U.S. Lacrosse members at a price of $1,395, a 44 percent savings off the regular price of $2,495.

Automated external defibrillators are used in response to commotio cordis, which can cause sudden cardiac arrest in athletes. Commotio cordis can occur when an athlete is struck in the chest area around the heart. The impact does not have to be severe for sudden cardiac arrest to occur.