Biomedical subjects

K Segadal

Publications and source records attributed to K Segadal.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

Respiratory effects of warm and dry air at increased ambient pressure.

We have measured in 7 divers forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expired volume in 1 s (FEV1), and forced midexpiratory flow rate (FEF25-75%) before and after exposure to dry or humid breathing gas of 35.3 degrees-36.8 degrees C (air) when diving to pressures of 117-600 kPa. The response was compared with the subjects' reactivity to pharmacologic bronchoprovocation with methacholine. Baseline FEV1 and FEF25-75% decreased in accordance with increasing gas density. Relative to baseline, there was a significant reduction after the dives in FEV1 of 4.0 +/- 6.1% (P less than 0.05) and in FEF25-75% of 8.6 +/- 9.7% (P less than 0.01) with exposure to dry breathing gas. By analysis of variance the reduction in the lung function variables below baseline were related to the breathing gas characteristic (dry/humid) (P less than 0.01), bronchial hyperreactivity (P less than 0.02), and ambient pressure (P less than 0.02) independently of each other. There was no significant change in FVC after the exposures. Humid breathing gas was considered more comfortable than dry breathing gas, and the upper comfort limit for breathing gas temperature was higher with humid breathing gas. Convective respiratory heat loss was negligible in these experiments, indicating that dry gas itself had a significant bronchoconstrictive effect. Bronchial hyperreactivity may cause increased risk of development of bronchial obstruction and air trapping during diving.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Characteristics of the response to exercise in professional saturation divers.

Exercise testing with measurements of expired minute ventilation (VE), oxygen uptake (VO2), and carbon dioxide elimination (VCO2) was done in 63 professional saturation divers, in the screening programs for selection of divers, to 10 different experimental and operational saturation dives. Their experience as divers averaged 9.8 yr (range 1-20), and they averaged 276 days (range 5-900) in saturation. The maximal pressure they had ever been exposed to averaged 2.01 MPa (range 0.8-5.1). The divers were compared with a control group of 47 offshore workers and policemen matched for age, height, and smoking habits and with reference values for the general healthy population. There were no significant differences in peak work load achieved, VO2peak and VCO2peak. VE at VO2peak and the corresponding ventilatory equivalents for oxygen uptake (VE(peak)/VO2peak) and carbon dioxide elimination (VE(peak)/VCO2peak) were significantly higher in divers (P less than 0.05), but VE, VE/VO2 and VE/VCO2 were not different at lower work loads. VE(peak)/VCO2peak correlated positively with years of diving experience when corrected for age (P less than 0.01). Divers had higher tidal volumes and lower breathing frequencies at ventilations lower than 40% of VE(peak), but maximal tidal volumes were not different. Tidal volume at a VE of 30 liter.min(-1) correlated negatively with FEV1 (P less than 0.05). The results are in agreement with the transient changes in pulmonary function and exercise tolerance demonstrated after a single saturation dive, and indicate that these changes may not be completely reversible.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Pulmonary mechanical function and diffusion capacity after deep saturation dives.

To assess the effects of deep saturation dives on pulmonary function, static and dynamic lung volumes, transfer factor for carbon monoxide (T1CO), delta-N2, and closing volume (CV) were measured before and after eight saturation dives to pressures of 3.1-4.6 MPa. The atmospheres were helium-oxygen mixtures with partial pressures of oxygen of 40-60 kPa. The durations of the dives were 14-30 days. Mean rate of decompression was 10.5-13.5 kPa/hour. A total of 43 divers were examined, six of whom took part in two dives, the others in one only. Dynamic lung volumes did not change significantly but total lung capacity (TLC) increased significantly by 4.3% and residual volume (RV) by 14.8% (p less than 0.05). CV was increased by 16.7% (p less than 0.01). The T1CO was reduced from 13.0 +/- 1.6 to 11.8 +/- 1.7 mmol/min/kPa (p less than 0.01) when corrected to a haemoglobin concentration of 146 g/l. Effective alveolar volume was unchanged. The increase in TLC and decrease in T1CO were correlated (r = -0.574, p less than 0.02). A control examination of 38 of the divers four to six weeks after the dives showed a partial normalisation of the changes. The increase in TLC, RV, and CV, and the decrease in T1CO, could be explained by a loss of pulmonary elastic tissue caused by inflammatory reactions induced by oxygen toxicity or venous gas emboli.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Divers' lung function: small airways disease?

Pulmonary function was measured in 152 professional saturation divers and in a matched control group of 106 subjects. Static lung volumes, dynamic lung volumes and flows, transfer factor for carbon monoxide (T1CO), transfer volume per unit alveolar volume (KCO), delta-N2, and closing volume (CV) were measured and compared with reference values from recent Scandinavian studies, British submariners, and the European Community for Coal and Steel (ECCS) recommended reference values. Diving exposure was assessed as years of diving experience, total number of days in saturation and depth, and as the product of days in saturation and mean depth. Divers had significantly lower values for forced expired volume in one second (FEV1), FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio, FEF25-75%, FEF75-85%, FEF50%, FEF75%, T1CO, and KCO compared with the controls and a significantly higher CV. There was a positive correlation between diving exposure and CV, whereas the other variables had negative correlations with diving exposure. Values for the control group were not different from the predictive values of Scandinavian reference studies or British submariners, although the ECCS standard predicted significantly lower values for the lung function variables both in divers and the control group. The pattern of the differences in lung function variables between the divers and controls is consistent with small airways dysfunction and with the transient changes in lung function found immediately after a single saturation dive. The association between reduced pulmonary function and previous diving exposure further indicates the presence of cumulative long term effects of diving on pulmonary function.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Exercise tolerance and pulmonary gas exchange after deep saturation dives.

Pulmonary function and exercise tolerance were measured before and after three saturation dives to a pressure of 3.7 MPa. The atmospheres were heliox with partial pressures of oxygen of 40 kPa during the bottom phase and 50 kPa during the compression and decompression phase. The bottom times were 3, 10, and 13 days. Decompression time was 13 days. Precordial Doppler monitoring was done daily during the decompression, and an estimate of the total bubble load on the pulmonary circulation was calculated as the accumulated sum of bubble scores recorded for each diver. Nine of the 18 divers had chest symptoms with retrosternal discomfort or nonproductive cough after the dive. There were no changes in dynamic lung volumes. Transfer factor for carbon monoxide was significantly reduced from 12.3 +/- 1.2 to 10.9 +/- 1.3 mmol.kPa-1.min-1 (P less than 0.01), and maximum oxygen uptake was reduced from 3.98 +/- 0.36 to 3.42 +/- 0.37 l/min STPD (P less than 0.01) after the dives. Resting heart rate was increased from 64 +/- 6 to 75 +/- 8 min-1 (P less than 0.01). The ventilatory requirements in relation to oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide elimination were significantly increased (P less than 0.01) after the dives. The physiological dead space fraction of tidal volume was significantly higher and showed an increase with larger tidal volumes (P less than 0.05). Anaerobic threshold estimated from gas exchange data decreased from an oxygen uptake of 2.30 +/- 0.25 to 1.95 +/- 0.28 l/min STPD (P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Respiratory changes with deep diving.

Deep diving refers to saturation diving to a depth of more than 180 m (1.9 MPa ambient pressure). In the 1990s diving to 400 m may be necessary on the Norwegian continental shelf. The safety margins are narrow and the respiratory system is subject to great strain at such depths. The respiratory resistance increases and the dynamic lung volumes are reduced as the pressure increases due to enhanced gas density. Helium is used together with oxygen as breathing gas and its lower density partly normalises the dynamic lung volumes. The respiratory system puts clear limitations on intensity and duration of physical work in deep diving. Systematic studies of lung mechanics, gas exchange and respiratory regulation in the different phases of deep dives are lacking. Detection of occupational respiratory disorder following diving are dependent on long-term follow-up.

Diving↗

PubMed1989

[Respiratory changes in deep diving].

Deep diving refers to saturation diving to a depth of more than 180 m (1.9 MPa ambient pressure). In the 1990s diving to 400 m may be necessary on the Norwegian continental shelf. The safety margins are narrow and at such depths the respiratory system is subject to great strain. Respiratory resistance increases and the dynamic lung volumes are reduced as the pressure increases due to enhanced gas density. Helium is used together with oxygen as breathing gas and the lower density partly normalises the dynamic lung volumes. The respiratory system imposes clear limitations on the intensity and duration of physical work during deep diving. We lack systematic studies of lung mechanics, gas exchange and respiratory regulation in the different phases of deep dives. Demonstration of possible chronic occupational respiratory diseases connected to diving is dependent on follow-up over a long time.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

Transcutaneous measurement of PCO2 at high ambient pressure (41 bar).

The accuracy of transcutaneous CO2 monitoring with the Kontron CO2 sensor was studied during compression to 41 bar and subsequent decompression. The PCO2 was stable and accurate during the test of the sensor in the pressure chamber, although an increase of 0.1-0.2 kPa during compression was found. The function of the transcutaneous sensor was tested in rats at 1 bar for the correlation between transcutaneous PCO2 (PtcCO2) and arterial PCO2 (PaCO2). The correlation coefficient between PtcCO2 and PaCO2 in the rat was found to be 0.93. The time difference between the 90% transcutaneous and 90% arterial response time was 4.6 +/- 0.6 min (mean +/- SEM). Finally, the use of the sensor in rats ventilated at constant minute volume during compression to 41 bar was examined. An increase in PtcCO2 of 0.2-0.4 kPa was found. The present results of transcutaneous PCO2 measurements indicate that this method may be useful in hyperbaric research and treatment.

Animals↗

PubMed1986

Gas bubbles in the circulation of divers after ascending excursions from 300 to 250 msw.

The occurrence of intravascular bubbles in arteries and veins has been studied using pulsed Doppler ultrasound in six subjects who performed two ascending excursions each from 300 to 250 meters of seawater (msw) during a heliox saturation dive. Following decompression, high-intensity reflections could be observed not only in the venous system but also in the arteries, most notably in the carotid artery. Intravascular bubbles were more numerous during the first ascent than during the second. The arterial bubbles most probably come from the venous side of the circulation, indicating that the pulmonary filter is not as effective as previously thought during saturation diving.

Adult↗