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a National
Institute of Occupational Health, PO Box 8149, N-0033 Oslo, Norway, b Department of Hyperbaric
Medicine, Haukeland Hospital, N-5021 Bergen, Norway, c Section of Medical Statistics, University of
Oslo, PO Box 1122 Blindern, N-0317 Oslo, Norway
Correspondence to: Dr Marit Skogstad Marit.Skogstad{at}stami.no
Accepted 30 December
1999
OBJECTIVES
To
characterise diving exposure and pulmonary function in professional
divers at the start of their formal education and during the first 3 years of their professional career.
METHODSThe study
included 87 men at the start of their education as professional divers.
At follow up 1 and 3 years after the school 83 and 81 divers
respectively were re-examined. Assessment of lung function included
dynamic lung volumes and flows and transfer factor for carbon monoxide
(TlCO).
RESULTS69
Divers had preschool SCUBA diving experience and had a median number of
70 dives (range 2-3000) to a median maximal depth of 40 (range 10-73)
metres. During the 15 week introductory diving course, they had 44 dives (range 38-50) in the depth range 10-50 metres. The median
number of dives over the follow up period was 95 (range 0-722) to a
maximal median depth of 38 (range 0-98) metres. At the start of the
diving course there were no differences in forced vital capacity (FVC),
forced expired volume in 1 second (FEV1), and in
TlCO between the 69 pre-exposed divers and the 18 never
exposed divers. The FVC was significantly larger than predicted in both
groups. At follow up at 3 years there was a significant reduction in
mean (SD) FEV1 of 1.8% (6.5), in forced mid-expiratory
flow rate (FEF25-75%) of 6.5% (11.7) and in forced
expiratory flow at 75% of FVC expired (FEF75%) of 10.4%
(16.8). There was no change in FVC. The TlCO was
significantly decreased by 4.6% (8.8). No significant effects were
found of cumulative diving exposure, including the number of dives, on the relative changes of any of the lung function variables.
CONCLUSIONSThe
results indicate that divers initially belong to a selected group with
large FVC. Exposure to diving may contribute to changes in pulmonary
function, mostly affecting small airways conductance.
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