Bills’ Hamlin sedated in critical condition following on-field collapse; game will not be resumed this week

(WVUE) - Thoughts and prayers have poured in from all over the world for Damar Hamlin, a Buffalo Bills player who collapsed on the field during a Monday Night Football game with the Cincinnati Bengals in the first quarter.

Hamlin, 24, is currently in a hospital and listed in critical condition after first responders administered life-saving measures on the field immediately after a collision between him and Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.

A team statement says that Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest after the hit and that medical personnel on the field restored his heartbeat before transferring him to a local hospital.

Hamlin’s representative, Jordan Rooney, says he was sedated and a breathing tube was inserted.

“His vitals are back to normal and they have put him to sleep to put a breathing tube down his throat,” Rooney said. “They are currently running tests.”

Rooney tweeted a statement from Hamlin’s family just before 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodwell informed both teams that the game will not be resumed this week.

Bills insider Vic Carucci says that another option could be a leaguewide decision to add a 19th week to the NFL regular season that would allow the Bills and Bengals to complete all of their remaining games before the postseason.

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According to the American Heart Association, cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack, however, any known heart condition can cause cardiac arrest. The AHA says that cardiac arrest results from electrical disturbances that cause the heart to suddenly stop beating properly and that if steps aren’t immediately taken, it can result in death.

Commotio Cordis is defined by the AHA as a disruption of a heart rhythm after blunt force trauma over the heart at a key time during the heartbeat cycle and they say that it can cause cardiac arrest. Although the phenomenon is rare, when it does occur, it mostly occurs in boys and young men during sports. The AHA says it’s the leading cause of death in youth baseball in the U.S. which occurs in up to two to three cases per year.

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