Clotting and fibrinolytic changes after firefighting activities

Details

• Personal Author:
  Fahey G ; Fernhall BO ; Horn, Gavin P. ; Petruzzello SJ ; Smith, Denise L. ; Woods J
• Description:
  Approximately 45%-50% of all duty-related deaths among firefighters are due to sudden cardiovascular events, and a disproportionate number of these fatalities occur after strenuous fire suppression activities. PURPOSE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of strenuous firefighting activities on platelets, coagulation, and fibrinolytic activity and to document the extent to which these variables recovered 2 h after completion of the firefighting activity. METHODS: Firefighters performed 18 min of simulated firefighting activities in a training structure that contained live fires. After firefighting activities, firefighters were provided with fluid and allowed to cool down and then recovered for 2 h in an adjacent room. Blood samples were obtained prefirefighting, postfirefighting, and 2 h postfirefighting. RESULTS: Platelet number, platelet activity, and coagulatory potential increased immediately postfirefighting and many variables (platelet function, partial thromboplastin time, and factor VIII) reflected a procoagulatory state even after 2 h of recovery. Fibrinolysis, as reflected by tissue plasminogen activator, also was enhanced immediately postfirefighting but returned to baseline values by 2 h postfirefighting. In contrast, inhibition of fibrinolysis, as evidenced by a reduction in plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, was depressed at 2 h postfirefighting. CONCLUSIONS: Firefighting resulted in elevated coagulatory and fibrinolytic activity. However, 2 h postfirefighting, tissue plasminogen activator returned to baseline and coagulatory potential remained elevated. The procoagulatory state that exists after firefighting may provide a mechanistic link to the reports of sudden cardiac events after strenuous fire suppression activities. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aging Blood Cardiovascular Diseases Cardiovascular System Firefighters Hematologic Tests Men Morbidity Mortality Occupational Health Safety

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• Keywords:
  Age-groups Author Keywords: Hemostasis Blood-samples Cardiovascular-disease Cardiovascular-function Cardiovascular-system Cardiovascular-system-disease Cardiovascular-system-disorders Coagulation Fibrinolysis Fire-fighters Fire-fighting Humans Morbidity-rates Mortality-data Physical-exercise Physical-reactions Physiological-effects Physiology Platelet Activity

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• ISSN:
  0195-9131
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Illinois ; New York ; OSHA Region 2 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  448-454
• Volume:
  46
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20045293
• Citation:
  Med Sci Sports Exerc 2014 Mar; 46(3):448-454
• Contact Point Address:
  Denise L. Smith, Ph.D., Department of Health and Exercise Sciences, Skidmore College, 815 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
• Email:
  dsmith@skidmore.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2014
• Performing Organization:
  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20070901
• Source Full Name:
  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
• End Date:
  20100831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b556c99e6d8b972340e2efbabf0b8b6588a13fc9f25919732d016354698c761bb91e820553ff27ed25e5af85308550950167d02cfb9143464ac12509962c2849
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/200758/cdc_200758_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 320.23 KB ]