LOS ANGELES — Dr. Mariell Jessup, chief science and medical officer of the American Heart Association, said she couldn't say for sure what caused Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin's heart to stop during an NFL game Monday night. But she was sure of one thing: "Everyone needs to know how to do CPR."
Hamlin's sudden collapse has been traumatic for his family, his team and athletes in general. But if it prompts more Americans to become adept at cardiopulmonary resuscitation, that would be quite a silver lining.
In Southern California, hundreds of courses are available in how to give CPR and how to reboot someone's heart with an automated external defibrillator, or AED. Research shows that quick access to one or both forms of treatment dramatically increase the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest.
