Thomas MacMillan file photo
Nine minutes. That is the amount of time that Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin required chest compressions when he had a cardiac arrest on the football field on Jan. 2. And while Hamlin has since recovered, many – including Hamlin himself – are crediting these chest compressions, also known as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), with saving his life. In Hamlin’s case, CPR was performed by professionals, however it should be known that anyone can learn to do CPR – and should learn – because it could be the difference between life or death.
Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating. The person appears unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing. While there are many reasons that someone can have a cardiac arrest, the two most important things to do if you witness one are to call 9 – 1‑1 and immediately start CPR by pushing hard and fast on the center part of the chest. These compressions on the chest should occur at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute. By initiating CPR, this keeps the blood flow active, until trained medical personnel or an AED, an automated external defibrillator that shocks the heart back into rhythm, can arrive.
As an ER doctor at Yale New Haven Health (YNHH), I know all too well that timeliness of CPR is critical following a cardiac arrest. In the Emergency Department, I have seen time and time again people who come in after a cardiac arrest, and there is a general trend — those who receive CPR immediately at home from bystanders, such as a friend, parent, or even stranger passing by, tend to do better than those who do not. And there is a lot of proof to support this.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), 350,000 people experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest every year. Only 35 to 45 percent receive CPR from a bystander. And if done properly, the AHA estimates that CPR can double or even triple the chance of survival from cardiac arrest. That is why CPR saved Hamlin’s life.
CPR rates are much worse in Connecticut compared to national rates. The Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) is an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest surveillance registry that helps communities improve survival rates. In 2021, on average 40 percent of cardiac arrests received bystander CPR throughout the country. However, in Connecticut, only 22 percent did, which is the lowest among the 18 states that reported to the CARES database. Yet even worse rates exist in New Haven County – a staggering one in 10 cardiac arrests received bystander CPR.
It is time to do better here in New Haven. In partnership with the American Heart Association, Yale New Haven Health staff – including YNHH President Dr. Keith Churchwell – are participating in the #3ForHeart Challenge, which was inspired by Damar Hamlin who wore #3 for the Buffalo Bills. This social media initiative encourages individuals to learn hands-only CPR and to challenge others to do the same. Learning this life-saving skill takes little time, in fact, as little as 60 seconds.
So why wait any longer? Your family, friends, and community depend on you. Learn CPR for them today.
For more information on how to find classes in your area, please click here or here. And for more general information on cardiac arrest and CPR, please click here.
Dalia Owda and Daniel Joseph are emergency medicine physicians at Yale.
CPR, the Heimlich maneuver for choking, what do if someone goes into diabetic shock, and other basic first aid training along with fire safety, should be taught in age appropriate lessons in elementary school, middle school and with a refresher course in high school as part of a health course. The more people who know what to do when faced with an emergency, the better.
I learned in summer camp, and in high school, and as a childcare worker, those basic skills along with lifeguard water safety basics.