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. 2019 Dec;61(12):1030-1035.
doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001730.

Electrocardiographic Responses Following Live-Fire Firefighting Drills

Denise L Smith  1 , Gavin P Horn, Bo Fernhall, Richard M Kesler, Kenneth W Fent, Stephen Kerber, Thomas W Rowland
Affiliations

Electrocardiographic Responses Following Live-Fire Firefighting Drills

Denise L Smith et al. J Occup Environ Med. 2019 Dec.

Abstract

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.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. The findings and conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Institute of Occupation Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Figures

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 1.
Distribution of ECG-detected supraventricular ectopy in firefighters during the 12-hour control and post-firefighting assessment periods. Note: the more than or equal to 11 category includes firefighters with 13, 17, 19, 20, 33, 42, and 51 total episodes during control and firefighters with 11, 27, and 132 total episodes during firefighting. ECG, electrocardiographic.
FIGURE 2.
FIGURE 2.
Distribution of ECG-detected ventricular ectopy in firefighters during the 12-hour control and post-firefighting assessment periods. Note: the more than and equal to 11 category includes firefighters with 16 and 54 total episodes during control and firefighters with 14, 55, 56, and 68 total episodes during firefighting. ECG, electrocardiographic.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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