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Pulmonary function in Sardinian fire fighters
Author(s) -
Serra Antonello,
Mocci Francesco,
Randaccio Francesco Sanna
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0274(199607)30:1<78::aid-ajim13>3.0.co;2-5
Subject(s) - medicine , vital capacity , pulmonary function testing , fire fighter , respiratory system , respiratory tract , lung volumes , lung function , diffusing capacity , lung , cardiology , environmental health
Our study examined the respiratory function of 92 firemen whose main activity is fire fighting in forests and open country. Such fire fighting activities are to be considered a risk to the respiratory tract, taking into account studies already in the literature that have evaluated the nature and quantity of inhalable toxins present in activities of this kind. The control group was composed of 51 Carabinieri (policemen), who were asked to fill in a questionnaire about their work activities. Forced expiratory volume and flow, total lung capacity, respiratory volume, and the permeability of the alveolar‐capillary barrier were measured. Firemen and Carabinieri (policemen) showed FVC rates higher than the European Community for Coal and Steel standards. The firemen showed a significant reduction in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ) [3.90 (0.50) vs. 4.04 (0.44); p < 0.05] and forced expiratory flow at 75% of forced vital capacity (FVC) (FEF 75 ) [8.37 (4.11) vs. 8.38 (1.67) p < 0.05] and more markedly in the FEV 1 /FVC relationship [80.07 (5.89) vs. 83.89 (1.67) p < 0.001] and in FEF 50 [4.73 (1.34) vs. 5.54 (1.44) p < 0.01] and FEF 25 [1.58 (.47) vs. 1.99 (.69) p < 0.001]. There were no marked differences in air‐blood exchanges. No correlation was found between respiratory function data and years of service or the number of fires extinguished during work experience. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.