What to know about cardiac arrest after Damar Hamlin collapsed mid-game
Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin had a cardiac arrest mid-way through a game.
The 24-year-old was given CPR for several minutes to restore his heartbeat.
Cardiac arrests are rare in people under the age of 30.
Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin's heartbeat stopped when he collapsed mid-game on Monday. Hamlin had a cardiac arrest when he took a hard tackle during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The 24-year-old was given CPR for several minutes to restore his heartbeat.
"Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment," the Buffalo Bills tweeted.
The game was postponed and Hamlin was in a critical condition, the NFL said on Tuesday.
A cardiac arrest is different to a heart attack
When a person has a cardiac arrest, their heart suddenly stops beating and pumping blood around the body. This starves the brain of oxygen, leading to a loss of consciousness and stopping breathing, according to the British Heart Foundation.
Cardiac arrests can be caused by a variety of reasons including a heart attack, congenital heart disease, heart valve disease, inflammation of the heart (acute myocarditis), and inherited heart conditions such as cardiomyopathy. They can also be caused by electrocution, drug overdoses, severe hemorrhages, and hypoxia, the BHF said.
Anyone can have a cardiac arrest but older people, men, and those with underlying heart problems are more at risk. Cardiac arrests are rare in people under the age of 30, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. About 1 in 10 cardiac arrests are linked with physical exertion, it said.
Heart attacks can lead to cardiac arrests, but the two are different. During a heart attack, the heart is still pumping but the blood supply to the heart is cut off, often by a clot in a coronary artery.
If someone is having a cardiac arrest, they will suddenly collapse, lose consciousness, be unresponsive, and either will be breathing abnormally (such as gasping), or won't be breathing at all, the BHF said. If a person is heaving a heart attack, they will remain conscious and breathing.
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests are fatal nearly 90% of the time, according to the American Heart Association. However, 43.8% of athletes who had sudden cardiac arrests and were attended to by paramedics between 2009 and 2014 survived being hospitalized.
Cardiac arrests can have long-term effects on the brain
Without urgent medical attention, someone having a cardiac arrest will die, so it's important to call the emergency services immediately and perform CPR to keep blood and oxygen circulating, then use a defibrillator to try and get the heart beating again, the BHF said.
After a cardiac arrest, a person will be treated in an intensive or coronary care unit, and they may be put in an induced coma, the BHF said.
To reduce the risk of suffering another cardiac arrest, a person may be given a pacemaker or an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, and be told to make lifestyle changes such as to their diet
It's normal not to remember having a cardiac arrest, and there can be long-term impact on the brain including speech and memory problems, dizziness, and fatigue, the BHF said.
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