Electrocardiographic Responses Following Live-Fire Firefighting Drills

Details

• Personal Author:
  Fent, Kenneth W. ; Fernhall B ; Horn, Gavin P. ; Kerber, Stephen ; Kesler RM ; Rowland TW ; Smith, Denise L.
• Description:
  OBJECTIVE: Firefighting-related environmental and physiological factors associated with cardiovascular strain may promote arrhythmias and myocardial ischemia, which induce sudden cardiac events (SCE) in susceptible individuals. The present study evaluated electrocardiographic (ECG) changes that may reflect increased SCE risk following simulated live-firefighting. METHODS: Using a repeated measures design, ECG tracings from 32 firefighters were recorded 12-hours post-firefighting in a residential structure and compared with a 12-hour control period. RESULTS: Ventricular arrhythmias were present in 20%, and ST segment changes indicative of myocardial ischemia in 16%, of firefighters 12-hours post-firefighting that were not detected in the control period. CONCLUSION: Live-firefighting induces significant ECG changes that include ventricular arrhythmias and ST segment changes, which may reflect myocardial ischemia. The implications of such ECG changes explaining increased cardiovascular risk in firefighters warrants further research. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Cardiovascular Diseases Cardiovascular System Electrocardiography Environmental Exposure Firefighters Fires Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety
• Keywords:
  Cardiovascular System Disorders Environmental Exposure Exposure Levels Fire Fighters Fire Fighting Risk Factors Statistical Analysis
• ISSN:
  1076-2752
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Illinois ; Maryland ; New York ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 2 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies ; DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  61
• Issue:
  12
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20058403
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Med 2019 Dec; 61(12):1030-1035
• Contact Point Address:
  Denise L. Smith, PhD, Skidmore College, 815 N. Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
• Email:
  dsmith@skidmore.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b698677221961ce8fea78eb20a3fa8a7b5a2b814572aba9f6f345ec5a4abed32ca2359e908df0d97b3ff061f9102ad3f7daff730c12299b13a84604252a59d48
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/221509/cdc_221509_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 169.10 KB ]