The small footballing world is still holding its breath awaiting news on the state of Bill’s safety Damar Hamlin, who suffered cardiac arrest on the field on Monday night. Although he remains hospitalized in critical condition, there is reason for optimism, according to a sports emergency service.
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The disturbing scene that unfolded midway through the first quarter at the expected duel between the Bills and Bengals in Cincinnati not only shaped the NFL, but also sparked reactions from medical workers from all walks of life on various social networks.
Marc-Antoine Doré is a regular on emergency responders, he who wears multiple hats.
As a certified sports therapist and project manager at UQTR in the field of sports therapy and advanced emergency care in sports, he sees a good chance of survival for Hamlin as he was cared for and resuscitated quickly.
“The fact that there was a pulse on the pitch is by far the best news. People who are resuscitated are usually resuscitated within the first three shocks, which is six minutes. We’re talking nine minutes, which isn’t far from the norm.
“He is a healthy young man with good oxygen supply. His energy system and metabolism are working well. Will there be consequences? It’s hard to say, but I’d rather say no. They also intubated him in the field, which helps oxygenate the brain. I’m optimistic at first glance,” he said in an interview with the Journal.
Possible concussion
On Monday night, several medics mentioned a possible cardiac concussion, an arrhythmia that cuts off blood flow to the brain while causing oxygen starvation.
That’s a hypothesis that seems plausible to Marc-Antoine Doré in the case of the 24-year-old player.
“It seems the most likely cause, although it usually starts younger. It doesn’t fit the typical profile of a concussion, as the median age according to studies in the US is 15 and there are very few older than 20. He was drafted not long ago so he had to pass all heart tests, but those tests can’t detect everything,” he recalled.
If this is indeed the case and the information circulating is confirmed, there is reason for optimism.
“Usually the predictions are very good. Cardiac arrest In the general population, the chances of survival are between 8 and 12%. In sports medicine, the rate varies between 40 and 100%, depending on the event. The therapists’ intervention came in less than a minute. CPR was carried out at the scene and the ambulance arrived within four minutes. If it really is a concussion and he was revived on the pitch then his prognosis is very good.”
Has nothing to do with soccer
Mr. Doré has also been a sports first responder instructor for years and sits on the committee responsible for reviewing Quebec football’s first aid training for the 2023 season.
He has been active in the community for years and assures that no connection should be made between the violence of the contacts in football and Monday’s incident.
“I have been involved in football first aid training in Quebec for nine years and have never heard of a football cardiac arrest. In American statistics we are talking about thirty cases annually in the United States. It remains infinitely small and bound to pre-existing conditions.
“There is no link between the violence in football and the cardiac arrest that happened yesterday (Monday). There are more concussions in baseball than in football. It also happens a lot more often in sports like karate, hockey and soccer,” he said.
Despite his endless bad luck in colliding with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, Damar Hamlin endured this shock event in one of the best possible places with good medical care.
“I’m a first responder in Montreal and if someone calls me on 911 about cardiac arrest, my response time is four to six minutes. As a sports therapist, I can be on the field in less than 15 seconds. We’re not even on the same register. I have my defibrillator on the sidelines. Putting a defibrillator in more than two minutes in a sports setting is a mistake. It’s a great success on the road,” said Mr. Doré.