Buffalo Bills star Damar Hamlin remains in critical condition after suffering cardiac arrest in the first quarter of a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night. According to the Bills, Hamlin’s heartbeat was restored on the field before he was transferred to the hospital for further testing.
Hamlin’s cardiac arrest acts as a reminder of the importance of timing and training during a cardiac incident, according to Dr. Kevin Harris, a Cardiologist at the Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute.
“If someone collapses in public, the most important variables are does that person get CPR or a defibrillator, and how quickly that resuscitation effort is started,” Harris told WCCO Radio on Tuesday.
Harris says the same resuscitation principles that exist in a hospital setting should exist in a public setting if someone collapses.
“If somebody collapses, appears to not have a pulse, and isn’t breathing, the first thing we do is call 9-1-1,” he said. “If there is an AED on site, which a lot of public venues now have, it’s very important that someone brings it to the victim as soon as possible. The more people that know the basic skills of CPR, the better. The most important thing to do though is call for help.”
According to Harris, AEDs found in public settings act almost exactly like the systems used inside hospitals.
“It’s made to detect the rhythm, and if there’s a shockable rhythm, it delivers a shock. It’s straightforward to use for the lay public.”
A number of CPR courses are available through the American Heart Association’s website.