Corewell Health East cardiologist Justin Trivax said Tuesday that Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest during the Monday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals was likely the result of a rare blunt trauma suffered on the field.
Hamlin, a 24-year-old, was given CPR on the field and an automated external defibrillator was used to restart his heart as teammates surrounded him. He received medical attention on the field for 19 minutes and was taken to a Cincinnati area hospital, where he is currently in critical condition.
Trivax said it was unlikely that Hamlin suffered the cardiac arrest from underlying or inherited heart rhythm problems or diseases, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or abnormal thickening of the heart muscle -- which results in an abnormal rhthym.