The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK)

April 28, 2007 Saturday
City Edition

Doctors warn of sports gear

Beth Gollob, Staff Writer

One could say Michael Slatcher was in the right place at the right time when his heart stopped.

While playing catcher April 19, the 11-year-old Broken Arrow boy was hit in the chest by the swing of a bat. The blow hit at the right time to stop his heart, despite his use of protective gear.

"He had all the right things on, but the bat came around and hit him," said his grandmother, Beverly Slatcher.

A doctor and an off-duty paramedic were at Michael's game and sustained him with cardiopulmonary resuscitation until paramedics arrived.

"This was a miracle. The Lord intervened and preserved his life for a purpose. Everything that happened, it was like it was all lined out to be so," she said.

But another Oklahoma boy wasn't so fortunate.

Just three days later, Tye Lyons, 6, of Fanshawe died after being struck in the chest with a baseball, according to a Fort Smith, Ark., television station. His funeral was held Thursday in Fanshawe.

Though chest protection shouldn't be ignored, doctors say having ready access to defibrillators is an athlete's best protection against sudden death when hit by a ball or other sports equipment.

Dr. Mark Link, a cardiologist with Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston, is among a group of doctors who have been studying the success of chest protectors in preventing cardiac arrest.

About 200 cases have been reported in the United States, with about 15 to 20 occurring each year.

The doctors have found the gear largely ineffective. About 30 percent of athletes whose hearts were stopped were wearing chest protectors, he said.

Link and other researchers have been using pig hearts to determine how chest protectors work and don't work. They hope to develop a design that would better protect athletes against cardiac arrest.

When stopped by a chest blow, the heart is not likely to restart on its own, meaning quick medical attention is vital, said Dr. John Harvey, a cardiologist with the Oklahoma Heart Hospital.

"It's a pretty rare situation where sudden trauma to the heart causes it to fibrillate," he said. "At that point, if you don't have a way to shock the heart back to normal, there's a good chance they're not going to survive."

In the meantime, parents shouldn't be so concerned they don't let their children play sports, Link said.

Michael's father, Fred Slatcher, said his son is ready to get back on the field, though he's been benched for the time being. He returned to school Thursday and can play baseball again in a few weeks.

For now, Michael's been collecting donations to buy defibrillators for the Indian Springs Sports Complex where he plays ball. Some have been donated by area companies, Fred Slatcher said.