After NFL Player's Cardiac Arrest, Methodist Cardiologist Stresses Importance of CPR Training

As the world reacts to Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest during a game Monday, many agree that the incident has shined a light on emergency medical preparedness at all levels of sports.

But that preparation goes beyond medical personnel, said William Nester, MD, a cardiologist with Methodist Physicians Clinic.

"Having trained professionals that have done this, that's obviously a great thing," he said, but you don't need to be a professional to save lives.

"That's the biggest thing I want to stress with this: Any person can do CPR," Dr. Nester said. "The first point of contact is (usually) not going to be a trained health care professional."

He said 70-80% of cardiac arrests occur outside a hospital.

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