BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — It was just before 2 on Tuesday morning when the Buffalo Bills first announced Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field in Cincinnati on Monday night.
His heartbeat was restored on the field after and he was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for further testing and treatment. At the time he was sedated and in critical condition.
What happened to Hamlin on the field was gut-wrenching and heartbreaking to watch for many. Western New York cardiologists 7 News spoke with said in instances like this one, it is a life or death matter and every second truly counts.
"It was a very scary situation. Never seen anything like that before," Dr. Vijay Iyler, chief of cardiology for the University at Buffalo and Kaleida Health, said.
Dr. Iyer broke down the basics of cardiac arrest.
"When the heart stops beating whether it be because of a very fast heart rate or a very slow heart rate. So, essentially the amount of blood being pumped out of the heart essentially drops to very small amounts," he said.
Given what happened on the field, Dr. Iyer said this is life-threatening, but rare in young people like Hamlin.
"When the cardiac output or the pumping chamber is not pumping enough blood, that deprives all the organs of the blood supply, specifically the brain," Dr. Iyer added.
Dr. Brian Riegel, a general, non-invasive cardiologist with Great Lakes Cardiovascular also saw what happened to Hamlin on Monday night.
"When he stood up and fell backward, like a sack of rocks, I mean it was, that's very concerning," Dr. Riegel said.
Although we don't know yet the exact cause of Hamlin's cardiac arrest, the first thing that comes to mind for Dr. Reigel is commotio cordis.
"It's basically agitation or disruption of the heart, so blunt trauma to the chest wall," he said.
He calls what happened to the Bills' safety, at that moment, a perfect storm.
"Blunt trauma in the wrong place, in the wrong time. The electrical cardiac signal gets hit at a certain vulnerable point," Dr. Riegel explained.
Within a matter of seconds, medical professionals rushed to Hamlin and quickly administered CPR and used a defibrillator.
"He had good, close medical attention and immediate attention and hopefully his outcome should be good," Dr. Riegel said.
Both doctors agree this was life-saving.
"Those are the steps that will recover a meaningful neurological recovery in most individuals," Dr. Iyer said.
Both doctors also said the next 24 to 48 hours are crucial to assess what happened and to ensure Hamlin's organs are functioning properly.
They also said this situation is a stark reminder to know how to do effective CPR which is critical for those life-saving efforts.
