NFL Player’s Collapse Leaves Experts Weighing a Rare Sports Risk

There was a frightening scene Monday night in Cincinnati as players and coaches gathered around medical staff trying to revive Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin, who had collapsed on the football field.

There is a rare condition called commotio cordis that can occur when a person is struck sharply in the chest. A blow to the heart can cause it to malfunction, disrupting the flow of blood to vital organs.

Hamlin was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for further evaluation. According to a statement from the Bills, he had a cardiac arrest after a hit in the game. He was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for further testing after his heartbeat was restored on the field. He is currently in a critical state.

There was no update on his condition on the website. A long list of possible causes for the player's condition will be investigated by doctors. Commotio cordis is a heart injury most often seen in athletes between the ages of 8 and 18 playing sports with projectiles.

The heart has an electrical signaling system that coordinates its contraction. The system can be altered by a collision during the signaling cycle.

Rapid Response

According to the website, unconsciousness with no breathing or pulse is one of the symptoms. Hamlin fell back to the ground after tackling the Cincinnati Bengal.

The treatment of commotio cordis begins with cardiopulmonary intervention and the use of a defibrillar device. The chances of survival can be greatly increased by having immediate access to an automated external defibrillator and trained medical professionals. The lifespan is often shortened without such treatment. A rapid medical response may have helped Hamlin.

He said that it hit several of the key points that they hope will happen. The first thing that happened was that a medical emergency was recognized immediately, that once the initial assessment took place, it was deemed that there was a cardiac arrest taking place, and then rapid acceleration to further medical therapy.

The structure of the heart and electrocardiograms can be used to establish the cause of cardiac arrest.

He said that was just a beginning. You want to make sure that a full evaluation is done when someone has a cardiac arrest.

It is recommended to wait for the people who have all the medical information to be able to come up with a diagnosis.