Heart screening may not have prevented Hamlin’s collapse

(AP) —Quick on-the-field emergency care is widely credited with helping save Damar Hamlin’s life, but it’s unclear if his cardiac arrest could have been prevented with screening.

FILE – Buffalo Bills Damar Hamlin with his helmet off before playing the Los Angeles Rams during an NFL football game, Sept. 8, 2021, in Inglewood, Calif. The scenes of Hamlin’s on-field collapse after suffering cardiac arrest on Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, has forced some fans to yet again confront a truth they have always known but hated to think about: Football can go from exciting and joyous to dark and tragic in a flash. Now, as the Bills defensive back remains in critical condition in a Cincinnati hospital, fans are reflecting on their relationship with the sport they love. (AP Photo/John McCoy, File)

Doctors have said they’re still evaluating what caused Hamlin’s heart to stop after a tackle during Monday night’s Bills-Bengals game.

One possibility is a fluke type of chest trauma that is impossible to predict or prevent. Existing heart conditions are the most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes.

Cardiac testing including EKGs and echocardiograms can sometimes detect them. But these tests can’t detect all heart conditions.

And they sometimes miss ones that can be deadly.

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