Hemostatic Responses to Multiple Bouts of Firefighting Activity: Female vs. Male Differences in a High Demand, High...

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Occupational Health
• Hematology

Background:

• Firefighting is a strenuous occupation with increasing female participation.
• Firefighting induces cardiovascular strain and hemostatic disruption.
• Sex-based differences in hemostasis are known, but their impact on firefighters is unstudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sex-based differences in hemostatic responses to firefighting.
• To compare hemostatic changes in male and female firefighters during drills.

Main Methods:

• Age- and BMI-matched male and female firefighters participated.
• Participants performed 3-4 firefighting drills over 3 hours.
• Blood samples were collected pre- and post-drills to assess hemostatic variables.

Main Results:

• Firefighting increased platelet count, factor VIII, and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) activity, while decreasing activated partial thromboplastin time and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) activity.
• Females exhibited lower baseline values for epinephrine-induced platelet closure time, antithrombin III, PAI-1 activity, and PAI-1 antigen.
• No significant sex-by-time interactions were observed for any measured hemostatic variables.

Conclusions:

• Multiple firefighting bouts induce a procoagulatory state.
• Despite baseline sex differences in hemostasis, male and female firefighters demonstrated comparable hemostatic responses to firefighting drills.