It was a scene that shocked players and fans, when 24-year-old Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin collapsed in the first quarter of a game in Cincinnati on Monday.
Something was very wrong with his heart. Medical personnel reportedly used CPR and a defibrillator to restore his heartbeat, before transferring him to a local hospital, where he remains sedated and in critical condition, fighting for his life.
Cardiac specialists say it’s too soon to know what went wrong, but a rare type of trauma called commotio cordis, also known as cardiac concussion, is among the possible culprits. It’s a type of arrhythmia, when the heart cannot work effectively and blood pressure can dramatically drop.
Some doctors believe Hamlin’s tackle of Bengals receiver Tee Higgins — hitting just the right spot in Hamlin’s chest — moments before could have caused the trouble.
A blow to the chest of sufficient velocity and power, “at the exact right moment in the cardiac cycle,” can trigger an arrhythmia, said Dr. Christopher Labos, a cardiologist in Montreal.
Commotio cordis is “exceedingly rare,” Labos told CBC News, because the heart is vulnerable to it for mere milliseconds.
What could have caused Bills’ Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest?
A sudden blow to Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin’s chest in Monday night’s NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals appears to have sent Hamlin into cardiac arrest, explains cardiologist Dr. Christopher Labos.
But, “when you have a young, otherwise healthy player who collapses with no heartbeat of a blow to the chest, there’s really one diagnosis that comes to mind.”
That Hamlin’s heart rhythm was reportedly restored with a defibrillator “just further confirms that’s what happened,” he said.
Commotio cordis occurs “probably 20 times a year” in the U.S. and about 60 per cent of those affected survive, according to heart rhythm specialist Dr. Mark Link of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
On-field collapse of NFL player leaves fans, athletes shaken
NFL player Damar Hamlin remains in critical condition after suffering cardiac arrest during a game Monday night. The sight of him collapsing on the field, and being rushed away in an ambulance, has shaken many and is renewing questions about the game’s safety.
In 1998, a puck struck NHLer Chris Pronger in the chest during a Stanley Cup playoff game, when the player for St. Louis was 23, and he suffered commotio cordis.
On Tuesday, he tweeted his support for Hamlin “during this incredibly scary time.”
Prayers that Damar Hamlin can have the same outcome that I was fortunate to have with my incident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Damar, his family, teammates and the greater NFL community during this incredibly scary time. ????????<a href=”https://t.co/u90LBw5MfO”>https://t.co/u90LBw5MfO</a>
Pronger told CBC News that taking the slapshot caused his heart to skip a beat — enough to limit oxygen to the brain “in that one heartbeat” and he passed out.
He was able to continue his career, playing for more than a decade after recovering.
The main worry for survivors is brain damage from lack of oxygen when the heart stops pumping blood, Link said. Doctors can help reduce that risk with deep sedation to give the brain a rest, he said.
For every minute of delay in resuscitating someone with the condition, there is a 10 per cent increase in mortality, Dr. David Angus told the television program CBS Mornings on Tuesday.
Hamlin was down for 19 minutes while receiving medical attention.
Sports writer Matt Parrino, who has covered the Bills since 2018, and before that the UFC, has seen all kinds of injuries. But what he saw Monday “was something different.”
“There was an urgency from all parties involved,” after Hamlin collapsed, he said.
“I saw an EMT, I believe, on the field that had a walkie-talkie of some kind, trying to get more people out there, before the ambulance had arrived.
“And the look on her face, as she looked down at Damar Hamlin and then back to the walkie-talkie as she was kind of screaming instructions, there was a level of speed and urgency to the whole situation.”
The Bills said early Tuesday Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following the tackle.
“His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment,” the team said in a statement.
Bills players react after Hamlin collapsed during the game at Paycor Stadium on Monday in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
