Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin remains in critical condition after cardiac arrest on the field during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday. NBC New York’s Linda Gaudino chats with Hackensack Meridian Health’s Dr. David Landers who explains the possible and rare cause called commotio cordis.
The hit looked harmless, at least for professional football. But it triggered a terrifying result.
Moments after an otherwise seemingly forgettable tackle during a football game Monday night between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, Damar Hamlin collapsed while in cardiac arrest.
Anguished players for both teams looked on and prayed, as a national audience watched and waited. Hamlin collapsed on the Paycor Stadium field following the hard collision and was administered CPR by medical personnel for roughly 10 minutes before being taken away in an ambulance.
The 24-year-old Bills safety remains in critical condition at the hospital. But it was the actions of the medical staff at the stadium, beginning CPR within minutes of Hamlin's collapse and restarting his heartbeat, that may have helped keep him alive.
"Those are critical factors, and that time is measured in really seconds to minutes" said Dr. Julio Panza, the chief of cardiology at Westchester Medical Center. He praised the crucial recognition and response from the staff.
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In answering what could cause Hamlin’s on-field cardiac arrest, Dr. Panza focused on two factors: pre-existing conditions and trauma. Watching the immediate aftermath of the play, he said he saw signs of commotio cordis — assuming Hamlin has no pre-existing conditions, that is.
"It is rare but it has been described in athletes and always as a consequence of blunt trauma to the chest," Dr. Panza said.
Blunt trauma to the heart creates the condition called commotio cordis, which is described as "the sudden arrhythmic death caused by a low/mild chest wall impact," according to the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut, which is dedicated to preventing sudden death in sports. The institute said that the condition mostly occurs with younger athletes competing in sports with projectiles and getting struck sharply in the chest with things like baseballs, lacrosse balls and hockey pucks.
Put simply, a blow to the chest triggers an abnormal heart rhythm which sets the course for cardiac arrest.
It would not be the first time an athlete has suffered the condition. NHL star Chris Pronger suffered it, taking a puck to the heart in a 1998 Stanley Cup Playoff game, which produced a similarly scary scene. On Tuesday, he tweeted his hope that Damar will survive this, just as he did.
What caused Hamlin's cardiac arrest, Dr. Panza said one thing is very clear when it comes to his chances of survival or recovery.
"The most important thing is the amount of time that he spent without blood flowing to the brain," he said.
As doctors test and treat Hamlin, his family said in a statement that “we want to express our sincere gratitude for the love and support shown to Damar during this challenging time….your generosity and compassion mean the world to us."
Dorrian Glenn, Hamlin's uncle, provided an update on the Buffalo Bills safety Tuesday evening, saying that Hamlin remains sedated in the ICU at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. He added that Hamlin is on a ventilator but has improved from 100% oxygen needed to 50% oxygen needed.
"They're trying to get him to breathe on his own. So we're just kind of taking it day-by-day," Glenn told NFL Network. "I'm really, really thankful for the medical staff that's been working with him. They've been truly awesome in helping him with his recovery."
Glenn revealed that Hamlin had to be resuscitated twice — once on the field and once at the hospital.
