NBC News correspondent explains Damar Hamlin’s signs of improvement

By News10NBC

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CINCINNATI — After going into cardiac arrest during a game at the Bengals, Damar Hamlin’s condition is showing signs of improvement, the Bills announced on Wednesday afternoon. Hamlin is still in critical condition in the intensive care unit of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

NBC News National Correspondent Jay Gray reported live from the hospital. Medical staff tell him that Hamlin’s condition is going in the right direction.

However, according to Gray, the improvement is “by no means is this a sign that he’s out of the woods yet. In fact, family acknowledged that his recovery is very uncertain.”

Here is the live report from Gray:

“Here’s what we know, he’s still sedated, still in intensive care in critical condition. We know that he is on a ventilator which is helping him breathe but also that the amount of oxygen that is necessary is greatly reduced, so he’s not relying on that ventilator as much as he had been over the past couple of days. That’s a great sign as they try to get him to breathe on his own at some point.”

“We know that he was rolled on his stomach to allow some of the blood that collected in his lungs to drain and exit and that’s not unheard of according to critical care. Doctors I’ve talked with today say after prolonged and intense CPR that it’s kind of common to see blood in the lungs.”

“The NFL said that for the last six years, before any game in the NFL, they review with officials and the medical team on the ground procedures for a player going into cardiac arrest and so they were prepared. The steps were in place. They reviewed it before the game Monday. And when you talk to doctors, they say that quick reaction, along with that hospital being a few miles away from the stadium, was really something that benefited the life-saving efforts for Damar. They acted quickly and worked aggressively to get a pulse back and then get him here to the hospital where he could receive a better treatment.”