A 20 year old Indian cricketer has died after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest three days after an on pitch incident.

Ankit Keshri, who played for East Bengal Club, was taking part in a Bengal Division 1 match against Bhawanipore Club last Friday when, in the 44^th over, he bumped into bowler Sourabh Mondel whilst taking a catch.

He immediately collapsed to ground and lost consciousness.

Ankit was rushed to the local private nursing home for treatment but three days later, suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and succumbed to his injuries.

A cardiac arrest occurs when an electrical fault occurs within the heart muscle, causing it to beat irregularly and preventing blood from being pumped to the vital organs. Chances of survival decrease by around 10% per minute if treatment is not provided immediately.

Commotio cordis is a condition which affects the heart and can cause a cardiac arrest after the body has suffered a sharp blow to the chest. The cardiac arrest event might not occur straight away, which unfortunately seems to be the case with the story of Ankit.

The colliding of the two players on the pitch has caused some disruption to the heart rhythm of Ankit and he has sadly suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away.

Unfortunately, cardiac arrests can occur to anyone and at any time, that is why we must be as prepared as we can be when it comes to treating people who have suffered a cardiac arrest.

This means having CPR training (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and AED access in all public areas so that effective and vital treatment can be administered to the patient as quickly as possible, providing a greater chance of survival.

If CPR is performed and an AED is used within 3-5 minutes of a patient suffering a cardiac arrest, their chances of survival increase from 6% to 74%.

defibshop Sales Manager Paula Leech said: “Unfortunately, sudden cardiac arrest can strike anyone at anytime and all we can do is be as prepared as we can be.

‘Having as many defibrillators out there, especially in crowded places, sports venues, schools, and shopping centres is essential. But it's equally important to have as many people trained in first aid and able to provide emergency CPR when required will boost survival figures.”

If you would like more information regarding our range of defibrillators or our AED training courses available, contact the defibshop team on 0845 071 0830 and we’ll be more than happy to help.