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Related Experiment Videos

Diffusing capacity and spirometry following a 60-minute dive to 4.5 meters.

M S Koehle1, A N H Hodges, B M Lynn

  • 1Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Centre, University of British Columbia, 3055 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.

Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine : Journal of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, Inc
|May 24, 2006
PubMed
Summary

SCUBA diving to 4.5 meters can reduce lung diffusing capacity (DLCO) in healthy individuals. This effect was observed after a 60-minute pool dive, but not during a non-immersed SCUBA breathing control.

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Area of Science:

  • Physiology
  • Diving Medicine
  • Pulmonary Function Testing

Background:

  • SCUBA diving involves breathing compressed gas underwater, potentially affecting pulmonary function.
  • Understanding the specific impact of immersion and breathing apparatus on lung health is crucial for diver safety.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the pulmonary effects of SCUBA diving at a depth of 4.5 meters.
  • To differentiate the effects of immersion from those of SCUBA breathing at ambient pressure.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized crossover study involving 10 healthy divers.
  • Two 60-minute exposures: a 4.5m pool dive with SCUBA and a non-immersed SCUBA control at 1 ATA.
  • Pulmonary function tests (FVC, FEV1.0, PEFR, DLCO), heart rate, and temperature were measured pre- and post-exposure.

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Main Results:

  • No significant differences in heart rate, temperature, or spirometry (FVC, FEV1.0, PEFR) between conditions.
  • A significant reduction in diffusing capacity (DLCO) was observed 30 and 90 minutes post-pool dive (9.3% and 15.1%, respectively).
  • No significant change in DLCO occurred during the non-immersed SCUBA control exposure.

Conclusions:

  • A 60-minute SCUBA dive to 4.5 meters causes a transient decrease in pulmonary diffusing capacity.
  • Immersion appears to be a key factor contributing to the observed reduction in DLCO, independent of SCUBA breathing at surface pressure.