@article{ref1,
title="Short-term spirometric changes in wildland firefighters",
journal="American journal of industrial medicine",
year="2011",
author="Jacquin, Laurent and Michelet, Pierre and Brocq, François-Xavier and Houel, Jean-Guillaume and Truchet, Xavier and Auffray, Jean-Pierre and Carpentier, Jean-Pierre and Jammes, Yves",
volume="54",
number="11",
pages="819-825",
abstract="BACKGROUND: The short-term effects of smoke inhalation have been little studied in European wildland firefighters, especially in an intra-individual design. Our purpose is to study the spirometric changes from the early stage during a wildland fire season and to compare smokers and non-smokers. METHODS: A population of 108 firefighters from a Civil Security Unit, based in Corsica, was tested immediately after having been exposed to the smoke of coniferous trees. RESULTS: Out of 108 people, 59 were smokers and 49 were non-smokers without any acute or chronic pulmonary disease. Compared to baseline values, a decrease of spirometric parameters was observed immediately after the end of exposure and an even greater decrease was seen after 24 hr (FEV1 -0.53 L; FVC -0.59 L; PEF -53 L min(-1) , P < 0.05 for each). None of the participants complained of respiratory symptoms. Three months after the end of the season, a final test was given which revealed a persistent decrease in spirometric parameters in comparison with baseline values (FEV1 -0.28 L; FVC -0.34 L; PEF -45 L min(-1) , P < 0.05 for each). Comparison of smoking and non-smoking groups did not show any noteworthy difference for each parameter or the importance of their decline. CONCLUSIONS: The findings show that firefighters are likely to develop respiratory impairments after wood smoke exposure. We did not observe any statistical differences between smokers and non-smokers. Am. J. Ind. Med. 54:819-825, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0271-3586",
doi="10.1002/ajim.21002",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajim.21002"
}