Local medical expert discusses Buffalo Bills player’s injury, importance of learning CPR/AED
NFL player Damar Hamlin remains in critical condition after suffering cardiac arrest on the field during the Monday night game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals.
News Channel 3's Peter Daut spoke with a local medical expert about what can be learned from this frightening injury.
Christine Langenwalter, the Chief Quality Officer for Desert Regional Medical Center, said that type of injury is rare but it can happen. If someone gets hit hard in the chest between heartbeats in a very small window, it can cause the heart to stop beating.
The hit causes the heart to go into a disorganized rhythm and the only way to get out of that is to shock the heart back to normalcy. The hospital said that's why it's so important for people to know how to use an AED or "Automatic External Defribillator," and also how to administer CPR until the AED arrives.
"It's extremely important that all of our sporting events, whether it's our youth, high schools, etc where you have contact sports that aed's are available. It has nothing to do with his health or other predisposing factors if it was from that type of injury. It can happen to anyone," said Langenwalter
Desert Regional offers classes on CPR and on how to use an AED and starting next month, the hospital will also be hosting a number of free events related to heart health.
