Acute Cardiovascular Responses of Wildland Firefighters to Working at Prescribed Burn

Details

• Personal Author:
  Adetona O ; Song C ; Wu C-M ; Adetona O ; Song C ; Wu C-M
• Description:
  Wildland firefighters at prescribed burns are exposed to elevated levels of wildland fire smoke (WFS) while performing physically demanding tasks. WFS exposure has been linked to increases in hospital and emergency admissions for cardiovascular disorders in the general population. However, knowledge about the cardiovascular effect of occupational WFS exposure among wildland firefighters is limited. To provide a better understanding of the effect of this exposure scenario on acute hemodynamic responses, resting systolic/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) and heart rate (HR) of wildland firefighters were measured before (pre-shift), after (post-shift), and the morning (next morning) immediately following prescribed burn shifts (burn days) and regular work shifts (non-burn days). A total of 38 firefighters (34 males and 4 females) participated in this study and resting BP and HR were recorded on 9 burn days and 7 non-burn days. On burn days, HR significantly increased from pre-to post-shift (13.25 bpm, 95% CI: 7.47 to 19.02 bpm) while SBP significantly decreased in the morning following the prescribed burns compared to pre-shift (-6.25 mmHg, 95% CI: -12.30 to -0.20 mmHg). However, this was due to the decrease of SBP in the firefighters who were hypertensive (-8.46 mmHg, 95% CI: -16.08 to -0.84 mmHg). Significant cross-shift reductions (post-shift/next morning vs. pre-shift) were observed in SBP on burn days compared to non-burn days (-7.01 mmHg, 95% CI: -10.94 to -3.09 mmHg and -8.64 mmHg, 95% CI: -13.81 to -3.47 mmHg, respectively). A significant reduction on burn days was also observed from pre-shift to the following morning for HR compared to non-burn days (-7.28 bpm, 95% CI: -13.50 to -1.06 bpm) while HR significantly increased in pre-to post-shift on burn days compared to non-burn days (10.61 bpm, 95% CI: 5.05 to 16.17 bpm). The decreased BP observed in wildland firefighters might be due to a high level of carbon monoxide exposure and exercise-induced hypotension. The increase in HR immediately after prescribed burns might be attributable to WFS exposure and physical exertion in prescribed burn shifts. The results suggest that wildland firefighting exposure might cause a distinct hemodynamic response, including SBP reduction and HR increment, especially for those who have pre-existing hypertension. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Cardiovascular Diseases Cardiovascular System Firefighters Fires Occupational Health Safety Wildfires
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Blood Pressure Blood Pressure Cardiovascular Disorders Fire Fighters Heart Rate Hypertension Physical Exertion Prescribed Burn Smoke Inhalation Wildland Firefighter Wildland Fire Smoke

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• ISSN:
  1438-4639
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article ; Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Michigan ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health ; Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America ; North America
• Volume:
  237
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20063946
• Citation:
  Int J Hyg Environ Health 2021 Aug; 237:113827
• Contact Point Address:
  Chieh-Ming Wu, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
• Email:
  wu.1615@osu.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Carbon monoxide (CAS RN 630-08-0) ; Carbon monoxide (CAS RN 630-08-0)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2021
• Performing Organization:
  University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f1bb069bb13c1b1a4ca9fb4d21039903ceb9dd7bad445d1bfde1d526695fae85ab7f0b65d94fdc2a4b85caad46924484433136d22914e58aa8e0bc8ac01b75cc
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/222479/cdc_222479_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.79 MB ]