Commotio

Commotio is a medical term derived from the Latin commotio, meaning disturbance or agitation. In clinical use, it refers to injury resulting from blunt trauma that causes transient dysfunction of a body part without an open wound. The term is most often encountered in combination with organ- or tissue-specific descriptors, such as commotio cordis or commotio retinae, and is seldom used as a stand-alone diagnosis in modern practice. Etymology traces to commovere, “to move thoroughly” or “to disturb.”

Commotio cordis describes a sudden, often fatal cardiac arrhythmia caused by a blunt impact to the chest, typically during sports. A blow delivered at a vulnerable moment of ventricular repolarization can trigger ventricular fibrillation, leading to collapse and cardiac arrest if not treated immediately. There is usually no external chest injury. Management requires rapid basic life support, defibrillation, and advanced care. Prevention focuses on protective equipment and safe sporting rules; prognosis hinges on rapid resuscitation.

Commotio retinae is an acute retinal injury after blunt ocular trauma, characterized by transient gray-white retinal opacification that reflects disruption of photoreceptor outer segments. It is often referred to as Berlin edema. Visual recovery varies; most cases improve over weeks, but some patients sustain permanent mild vision loss. Diagnosis is clinical, supported by optical coherence tomography showing outer retinal disruption. Treatment is typically observation; management of associated injuries is important.

Other uses of the term are less common; medical references typically reserve commotio for those two conditions. The term emphasizes injury from blunt contact and transient functional disturbance rather than penetrating trauma.