Damar Hamlin makes ‘substantial improvement’ after on-field cardiac arrest, doctors say

The good news continued for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin Thursday afternoon, when doctors at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center said he had made “substantial improvement” after going into cardiac arrest during the game. Monday against the Bengals.

“He is starting to wake up and it appears that his condition and neurological function are intact,” Dr. Timothy Pritts of the UC School of Medicine said in a video news conference.

Hamlin had been sedated following his CPR on the field Monday, but began communicating with doctors in writing Wednesday as his verbal communication continues to be hampered by his breathing tube. The 24-year-old defensive back even asked doctors who won Monday’s game, which he postponed indefinitely after he collapsed in the first quarter.

“Our response was: Damar, you won,” Pritts told reporters. You have won the game of life.

Both Pritts and Dr. William Knight of the University of Cincinnati said the speed of medics’ response to Hamlin’s collapse Monday was critical in saving the Pittsburgh native’s life.

Doctors were at Hamlin’s side a minute after he collapsed and immediately noticed that he did not have a pulse.

There are injuries that happen in sports, but it’s rare to have something [that] incredibly serious [that quickly]’ Pritts said. ‘We cannot credit [the Bills medical] enough equipment.

“It’s been a long, hard road over the last three days,” Knight said. ‘[Hamlin] He has made quite a noticeable improvement.

Despite his improvement, it’s unclear when Hamlin’s breathing tube will be removed.

“Every patient is different,” Knight said. ‘When families of patients ask how long they are going to be on a ventilator, in the ICU, [we’ll say]the time that is necessary.

Pritts said the “best outcome” would be for Hamlin to go back “to the person he was before all this happened.”

Doctors at the University of Cincinnati addressed the media about Hamlin’s condition on Thursday.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) and Buffalo Bills react as Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) is treated on the field after a first quarter collision against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium.

The good news comes as the 12-3 Bills prepare to host the New England Patriots on Sunday. Buffalo still has a chance to wrest the top seed in the AFC playoffs from the Kansas City Chiefs 13-3, depending on whether or not the NFL orders last week’s game against Cincinnati to be completed.

One option is to cancel the remainder of the Bills-Bengals game and use winning percentage to determine AFC playoff seeding. Such a move would give the Chiefs first-round bye-clinching advantage and home-field advantage in the postseason.

Of course, football isn’t the most pressing issue as Hamlin continues to recover and other players face the daunting task of getting back on the field.

The NFL and its players union have made mental health resources available to players and coaches across the league.

“I think it’s certainly key that we recognize the great stress this creates for everyone involved,” NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills told reporters this week.

“Certainly the teams, the healthcare providers, the staff, and this is not just for Buffalo and Cincinnati, but for all of our teams.

‘We have resources in each of our clubs and we have emphasized preparation in this way. Our clubs have deployed those resources with their counselors and their mental health professionals. And that support extends to the entire NFL family, and it will be a constant need. This is something that will continue and it is something that we will continue to emphasize.’