Football: Christian Eriksen’s concussion can be caused by two things, says sports cardiologist Kirsi Korpi

The match had been played for a good 64 minutes when Eriksen grabbed his chest and fell to the surface of the grass. He was immediately called for first aid. The match was stopped due to medical procedures.

The players on the field were visibly shocked. Fortunately for everyone, however, the Dane got up and left the field on his own two feet.

The situation inevitably brings to mind memories from 2021, when Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest in the European Championship match played against Finland. At that time, the Dane was revived on the field. Danish national team doctor Morten Boesen said in 2022 that the defibrillator saved Eriksen’s life.

Nearly the situation five years ago was also closely monitored by a sports cardiologist Kirsi Korpi. Eriksen’s situation on Sunday brought back memories in Korvi’s mind.

“After all, it was a very scary situation. Of course, after two times, the fear also arises of a possible third scene,” says Korpi.

According to Korve, there are two possible reasons for Eriksen’s collapse: either a “fatal arrhythmia” has occurred in the Dane’s heart, or the pacemaker has performed the shock therapy incorrectly without an arrhythmia, which has caused the collapse.

Korpi says that the cause of the collapse can largely determine the continuation of Eriksen’s career.

If it was an incorrect shock treatment of the pacemaker, it could have been triggered, for example, by an exceptionally high heart rate or an extra beat spike. In this situation, the continuation of Eriksen’s career would be realistic.

“In that case, he could go back on the field because it wouldn’t involve the heart. But it would require new adjustments to the pacemaker.”

However, if the investigations revealed a fatal arrhythmia as the cause, the situation would be considerably more risky.

“In that case, there would be a risk that this would happen again. Although I generally paced myself, I handle these well.”

“It would be unlikely that he would return to playing football at this level anytime soon, or at all. Continuing to play would be a big risk.”

Eriksen received a pacemaker after the events of 2021. It is an ICD pacemaker capable of delivering electrical shock treatments to restore a normal rhythm.

According to Korvi, it is possible that a faulty pacemaker could have caused the situation.

“I would think he has a shockable arrhythmia pacemaker. It delivers shock therapy in the heart itself when it detects an arrhythmia. So it reverses these kinds of fatal arrhythmias.”

“However, there is a rare but real problem with these arrhythmia pacemakers. They can sometimes sense incorrectly at a high heart rate and give unnecessary shock therapy.”

Korpi says that the electric shock given by the pacemaker is very strong, which could also explain the situation. It was a good sign that Eriksen walked off the field on his own two feet.

“In this situation, we see how Eriksen holds his chest and falls to the ground. It looked like the blow had come at that very moment.”

The real thing the cause of the numbness is not yet known, but Korpi does not believe in the possibility of heart muscle disease, because he knows one of the world’s leading sports cardiologists, Sanjay Sharman.

Eriksen played in England for Tottenham from 2013 to 2020. There he was specifically under Sharma’s care.

“He does annual ultrasound examinations, so such hereditary diseases would have survived there.”

“When he was allowed back to play after the first concussion, there must have been some heart disease or an extra electrical circuit that was able to be treated.”

He reminds that Eriksen would not have been given permission to return to the field in the first place if the investigations had revealed something extremely serious.

Bodies feels that the discussion around the situation is very important. He says that an international investigation into the causes of the incident would be appropriate.

“Athletes, of course, experience states of fear because of something like this. I too have received worried calls from athletes.”

The situation can serve as a good reminder for everyone in Finland as well.

“First of all, it is important to only play sports when you are healthy. You should not play sports when you have a cold, fever, or the aftermath of a flu. For example, Corona and influenza are viruses that stay in the body longer.”

“It’s really important to go for health checkups and also take a heart film. It tells about the condition of the heart and is a very cheap life insurance,” says Korpi.