Edward-Elmhurst Health: Quick action can save people in cardiac arrest

On Jan. 2, 2023, the nation watched as Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, 24, went into cardiac arrest after making a tackle during a Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

With blood flow to his brain disrupted, Hamlin lost consciousness and collapsed on the field. His heartbeat was restored by medical personnel before he was transported to a Cincinnati hospital in critical condition.

Cardiac arrest affects the heart muscle’s electrical system, causing the heart to suddenly stop beating. It can be the result of a heart attack. a heart rhythm problem or trauma. In Hamlin’s situation, experts speculate that the blow to his chest may have happened at a vulnerable moment in his heart’s electrical cycle.

Cardiac arrest is often fatal without immediate treatment. After a person loses consciousness, the chance of survival decreases by 10 percent every minute. About 9 in 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside the hospital do not survive.

Quick action helps save lives. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can get the heart beating normally again. If there is no pulse, an automated external defibrillator (AED) can help restore a normal heart rhythm. When performed in the first few minutes of cardiac arrest, CPR and use of an AED can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival.

“The most important message from this event is the benefit of immediate CPR and availability of AEDs at public venues and all sporting events,” says Moeen Saleem, M.D., a cardiac electrophysiologist with Midwest Cardiovascular Institute and on the medical staff at Edward Hospital, part of Edward-Elmhurst Health.

Use of CPR and an AED are credited with Hamlin surviving his cardiac event. He was transferred to a Buffalo hospital on Jan. 9 to continue his recovery.

Aside from blunt trauma to the chest, other causes of sudden cardiac arrest include undiagnosed heart conditions such as cardiomyopathy, myocarditis or genetic conditions such as long QT syndrome.

“Events like this are tragic and impactful on an entire community. We should also take this as a reminder to educate ourselves to recognize cardiac arrest and the critical steps for resuscitation,” says Dr. Saleem.

Since cardiac arrest often occurs without warning, it’s important to know steps to take if it happens. Signs that someone is in cardiac arrest include being unresponsive, not breathing or gasping for breath. Call 911 and begin CPR immediately. If the person collapsed, find an AED and use it right away.

Edward-Elmhurst Health offers the American Heart Association’s Family & Friends CPR course, which teaches adult Hands-Only CPR, Child CPR, Infant CPR and how to relieve choking in an adult, child or infant. Learn more and register at EEHealth.org/classes-events/cpr-first-aid.