Chronic adaptations of lung function in breath-hold diving fishermen

• Authors: Cristiane Diniz , Tiago Farias , Mayane Pereira , Caio Pires , Luciana Gonçalves , Patrícia Coertjens , Marcelo Coertjens

Abstracts

EN

Objectives: The aim of this study was to verify and analyze the existence of chronic adaptations of lung function in freediving fishermen whose occupation is artisanal fishing. Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 11 breath-hold diving fishermen and 10 non-breath-hold diving fishermen (control) from the village of Bitupitá in the municipality of Barroquinha (Ceará - Brazil). Anthropometric measurements, chest and abdominal circumferences as well as spirometric and respiratory muscle strength tests were conducted according to the specifications of the American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society (ATS/ERS). In order to compare the measured values versus the predicted values, Student t test was used in the case of parametric test and Wilcoxon test in the case of nonparametric test. To compare the inter-group means Student t test was used for parametric test and Mann-Whitney test for the nonparametric one. The level of significance was set at α = 5%. Results: The forced vital capacity (FVC) (4.9±0.6 l vs. 4.3±0.4 l) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV₁) (4.0±0.5 l vs. 3.6±0.3 l) were, respectively, higher in the group of divers compared to the control group (p ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, in the group of free divers, the measured FVC, FEV₁ and FEV₁/FVC ratios were significantly greater than the predicted ones. No differences were found between the measured respiratory pressures. Conclusions: These results indicate that breath-hold diving seems to produce chronic adaptations of the respiratory system, resulting in elevated lung volumes with no airway obstruction.

Keywords

EN

environment; immersion; lung volume measurements; Respiratory Function Tests; apnea; underwater fishing

• Publisher: Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. dra Jerzego Nofera w Łodzi
• Journal: International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health
• Year: 2014
• Volume: 27
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 216-223

Dates

published

2014

Contributors

author

Cristiane Diniz

• Department of Rehabilitation, Federal University of Piauí, Parnaíba, Brazil

author

Tiago Farias

• Department of Rehabilitation, Federal University of Piauí, Parnaíba, Brazil

author

Mayane Pereira

• Department of Rehabilitation, Federal University of Piauí, Parnaíba, Brazil

author

Caio Pires

• Department of Rehabilitation, Saint Edwiges Hospital, Parnaíba, Brazil

author

Luciana Gonçalves

• Department of Medicine, Saint Edwiges Hospital, Parnaíba, Brazil

author

Patrícia Coertjens

• Department of Rehabilitation, Federal University of Piauí, Parnaíba, Brazil

author

Marcelo Coertjens

• Department of Rehabilitation, Federal University of Piauí, Parnaíba, Brazil

Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/s13382-014-0259-7

Biblioteka Nauki

2178832