TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Tampa area doctor said complete student physical forms are critical after LeBron James’ son, Bronny, suffered cardiac arrest at the age of 18 while practicing.
“What I will try to encourage parents, as well as student-athletes and even professional athletes — give full disclosure,” Bayfront Health Cardiologist Dr. Alexander Johnson said. “If you’re having something that’s bothering you and you think it’s nothing, I’m an athlete, I can power through this, this is something you should not ignore.”
Johnson is a former college athlete who said he has taken a keen interest in sports cardiology.
“This is one of our worst nightmares,” he said, referring to James’ cardiac arrest.
AdventHealth Tampa’s Chest Pain Coordinator Damar Camacho said James’ collapse on the court is yet another reminder about the need to learn hands-only CPR. Recently, AdventHealth offered free CPR training for members of the Buccaneers staff and they taught 140 people this life-saving skill at Bloom Health Expo.
“If you can’t remember how to do hands-only CPR, after the class is that you dial 911, you put the phone on speaker, and you’re to put that phone down and start compressions,” Camacho said. “If you forget some steps in CPR, the person on the other line is going to be able to talk you through it.”
Johnson said it’s essential for athletic facilities to invest in Automated External Defibrillator (AED), like the one used to restore the heartbeat of Bills Wide Receiver Damar Hamlin when he suffered cardiac arrest during Monday Night Football.
“Right now, it’s fairly easily affordable,” Johnson said. “It’s no longer cost-prohibitive as an athletic department in purchasing one of these devices, and really time is of the essence.”