IDAHO, USA — The Buffalo Bills just went back onto the field for the first time since their teammate, Buffalo Bills safety, Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest while playing nearly a week ago. The nation watched, with bated breath, to see if the safety would be alright. Fortunately, Hamlin is now recovering.
Hours after the injury, many people learned the term commotio cordis for the first time. From parents to coaches, and even those who perhaps do not pay attention to sports, what happened to Hamlin sparked conversations among people of all ages and different backgrounds.
Ty Jones, the executive director of the Idaho High School Activities Association, and a former coach, said that while the moment scared so many people across the country, football is now safer than ever.
"Safety is always top of mind for the coaches of student athletes and schools across Idaho," Jones said.
Medical experts add that what happened to Hamlin is uncommon. Dr. Kenny Bramwell, an emergency physician at St. Luke's said Commotio cordis is a Latin term that means commotion of the heart. It is a relatively rare condition that happens when someone gets directly struck in the chest.
He also said he is not aware of any cases in Idaho.
"I actually asked some of my ER colleagues and some of my cardiology friends over the last few days, nobody has ever seen it," Bramell said. "In fact, the only place any of these friends have ever seen it has been on our board examination tests."
However, while it is unusual, Bramwell said that there is an age group that is most at risk.
"We are told that it affects teenagers quite a bit. What has to happen is that the patient has to be the right age and has to get the right level of hit to the chest. And it has to happen at just the right phase of their cardiac cycle, so it's unusual that all of those things happen together," Bramwell said.
That information may have some parents feeling worried about their child's participation in the sport, but Jones said that there are many different ways coaches train athletes to try to prevent injuries.
"I would say without question that the vast, vast majority, 95 plus percent of all the coaches in the state of Idaho, do a really good job of taking care of their kids and teaching them the proper way to do things," Jones said.
Jones added that coaches are better trained than ever with more safety protocols in place.
"We require our coaches to take a sudden cardiac arrest course. We require our coaches to take first aid and CPR. All of our high schools in the state of Idaho have AED's (automated external defibrillators) on site. Those are all things that our schools have worked with and are required to do to make the game as safe as we possibly can," Jones said.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist: