PULMONARY-FUNCTION ONE AND 4 YEARS AFTER A DEEP SATURATION DIVE

The pulmonary function of 24 Norwegian divers who had participated in a deep saturation dive to pressures of 3.1-4.6 MPa was reevaluated one and four years later. Twenty-eight divers performing ordinary saturat ion diving to pressures of 0.8-1.6 MPa and followed over a three-year period served as referents. A significant reduction in forced expirato ry volume in 1 s (FEV1.0) of 210 (SD 84) ml (P<0.001) occurred the fir st year after the dive. Thereafter the annual reduction in FEV1.0 was 28 (SD 62) ml . year-1; this value did not differ from the 35 (SD 80) ml . year-1 of the referents. The forced midexpiratory flow rate and f orced expiratory flow rates at low lung volumes were also significantl y reduced one year after the deep dive, and the closing volume was inc reased. No significant changes occurred in forced vital capacity. The results agree with those of cross-sectional studies on divers' lung fu nction and indicate the development of airflow limitation in relation to diving exposure.