On Tuesday Buffalo Bills confirm player Damar Hamlin suffered from cardiac arrest Monday night, news that came as a surprise to many. But cardiologists say the possibility of cardiac trauma even among our top athletes cannot be underestimated.
Dallas-based cardiologist Ben Levine is a Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern and Director of Texas Health Dallas’ Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine. Levine is a renowned sports cardiologist who sees athletes around the world and serves professional leagues such as the NHL and NFL.
Though we don’t know all the specifics of Damar Hamlin’s, case Levine said, even with extensive health screenings, some cardiac diseases can go undetected. As for what happened on the field the Monday, he said there are steps to take quickly that can save a life.
While he is not Hamlin’s doctor, Levine said the first 24 hours after cardiac arrest are critical.
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“Right now, the biggest issue for someone in the early stages after a cardiac arrest is making sure the brain has gotten enough blood,” he said. “In a very short time, protect the brain as best as possible. The second thing is to start the process of investigating whether there is underlying heart disease.”
Sports broadcasters reporting from the sidelines said they’d never seen anything like it. The Bills released a statement saying Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest following the hit in their game against the Bengals.
The cause of Hamlin’s medical emergency is still unclear, but in the medical world, there’s been discussion about the possibility of Commotio Cordis.
“Even a healthy heart can have a cardiac arrest if there is a highly focused trauma with enough intensity at exactly the right time in the cardiac cycle,” said Levine.
Levine said Commotio Cordis is a very rare and unlucky occurrence where timing, location and force come into play.
“If that hit occurs with enough force, right over the heart, right when the heart is repolarizing and getting ready for the next beat, that can cause a cardiac arrest,” he said.
Rep. Colin Allred, D-TX, a former NFL player himself, said he immediately thought of Hamlin’s family in the stands during those heart-stopping moments.
“I also was injured in Dallas playing against the Cowboys with my family in the crowd,” Allred said “And I had a neck injury, and it wasn’t as serious, but they didn’t know.”
Dr. Levine commends fast action of medical staff on the field, as it sometimes takes a level of expertise to recognize cardiac arrest.
“If someone collapses suddenly, the first thing we need to do is go over and check whether they have a pulse or not and make sure they’re breathing,” he said. “So, for the lay-person, seeing someone collapse on the street, the most likely cause of that is a cardiac arrest.”
Levine says if there is one major takeaway is to make sure there’s an AED present whenever athletes are involved; and a plan of action when it comes to using it.
“My take-home message to everyone in the sporting community is you need to have an emergency action plan,” he said. “You need to know where the AED is, and you need to practice the plan. The AED doesn’t do any good if it’s sitting in someone’s office.”
Levine and his colleagues have come up with a Cardiac assessment that has been posted on the UIL website. They’re cardiac assessment videos that outline the main symptoms doctors would be concerned about in young athletes.
For more information visit https://www.uiltexas.org/health/cardiac-symptom-videos
