After Buffalo Bills game, a doctor explains what is cardiac arrest
Buffalo Bills football player Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during Monday night’s game against the Bengals.
During cardiac arrest, an internal electrical problem makes your heart stop pumping blood to your body. Without blood flowing, a person can become unconscious. Sudden cardiac arrest can be fatal in minutes.
Many fans were left with a lot of questions after the game, such as what exactly is cardiac arrest?
“Cardiac arrest is a sudden electrical problem with the heart, so the heart electricity becomes so chaotic that the heart can’t beat and pump blood to the rest of the body anymore,” said Michael Emery, MD, sports cardiologist with Cleveland Clinic, in a news release.
Dr. Emery said cardiac arrest can happen many reasons, so Hamlin’s doctors will be responsible for determining that.
There are often no warning signs, he added. However, an episode can include chest pain, nausea and vomiting and shortness of breath before fainting.
Every second counts, so making sure an individual receives CPR or defibrillation right away is important.
“Prompt recognition and prompt defibrillation in the setting of sudden cardiac arrest are keys in survival,” he said. “Your survivability declines every 7 to 10 percent for every minute that defibrillation is delayed, or restoration of sinus rhythm or spontaneous circulation is delayed.”
Dr. Emery said it’s too early to talk about Damar Hamlin’s long-term prognosis.
This story was originally published January 3, 2023 5:29 PM.