Fatalities Associated With Judo.

In brief: The author presents case reports of 19 judo fatalities. Five deaths were due to brain injury, four to cervical fracture-dislocations, five to cardiac problems, and five to miscellaneous causes. Judo can be blamed for 10 of the 19 deaths. Cardiac deaths do not appear to be preventable, because potentially fatal cardiac disease may not be evident until the fatal episode. However, strict enforcement of rules and safety precautions can prevent most serious injuries.