Bronny James, the son of NBA legend LeBron James, experienced a cardiac arrest during a training session with the University of Southern California (USC) basketball team on July 24.
The 18-year-old was preparing for an upcoming exhibition tour in Greece and Croatia when his heart suddenly stopped beating.
He was resuscitated and quickly transported to a nearby hospital after a 911 call was made at 9.26am. He has since been stabilized and released from intensive care.
But what exactly happens to the body during a cardiac arrest? How common are cardiac arrests and how do they differ from heart attacks? Read on to find out more.
The 18-year-old is said to now be in a stable condition and has been released from intensive care
What happened to Bronny James?
Bronny, 18, a freshman basketball player for the USC Trojans, collapsed at the team’s Galen Center on July 24 after experiencing a cardiac arrest.
The USC staff acted promptly, resuscitating James immediately and rushing him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after a 911 call was made at 9.26am local time.
A spokesperson for the James family stated, “Yesterday while practicing, Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest. We ask for respect and privacy for the James family, and we will provide further information to the media when available. LeBron and Savannah would like to express their deepest gratitude to the USC medical and athletic staff for their incredible work and dedication to the safety of their athletes.”
James has since been discharged from intensive care following this alarming incident.
Is it common for people under 50 to experience a cardiac arrest?
Bronny James’s cardiac arrest at just 18 years old comes as a significant shock. While cardiac arrests are relatively rare among young individuals, they can still occur.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 2,000 seemingly healthy individuals under the age of 25 in the United States die each year from sudden cardiac arrest.
Although cardiac arrests mostly occur in older adults, there is no specific age group that is immune to this condition.
How common are cardiac arrests?
In the UK, over 30,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of hospitals each year, compared to more than 356,000 in the US.
Common causes of cardiac arrests include heart attacks, heart disease, and heart muscle inflammation.
Individuals with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, smokers, substance abusers, and sedentary lifestyles are at the highest risk.
Other risk factors include thickening of the heart muscle, which can be caused by certain medications and blood vessel issues that can be triggered during intense physical activities, as well as an enlarged or inflamed heart.
LeBron James, Bryce James, Zhuri James, Savannah James and Bronny James at The 2023 ESPYS held at Dolby Theatre
In rare cases, cardiac arrest can be caused by a buildup of potassium in the body, known as hyperkalemia.
Treatment for these patients typically involves calcium and insulin therapies to counteract the effects of high potassium levels in the blood.
What happens to the body during a cardiac arrest?
During a cardiac arrest, the heart suddenly stops pumping blood throughout the body due to an electrical malfunction.
As a result, blood flow to the brain and vital organs ceases.
This lack of oxygen to the brain leads to the person losing consciousness and stops them from breathing.
Some individuals remain unconscious after experiencing a cardiac arrest and require intubation and ventilation to support their breathing.
What is the difference between a cardiac arrest and a heart attack?
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