Effect of hyperbaric exposure on pulmonary functions in hyperbaric chamber inside attendants

Objective: The objective of the study was to compare pulmonary function tests results of hyperbaric chamber inside attendants (HCIAs) working in a hyperbaric chamber before and after sessions. Methods: A total of 68 health care personnel working as HCIAs in the hyperbaric oxygen therapy unit between June 2019 and September 2019 were included in the study. All participants experienced the pressure chamber for the first time. In spirometric evaluation, we measured forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1), forced expiratory flow at 25%-75% of FVC (FEF25-75) and peak expiratory flow (PEF). In addition, FEV1/FVC ratio (FEV1%) was also calculated. Results: The mean FVC was found as 3.56 +/- 0.66 (min-max: 2.17-5.63) before hyperbaric exposure and 3.44 +/- 0.62 (min-max: 2.30-5.28) after the exposure (3.4%) (p<0.05). The mean FEV1 was found as 3.37 +/- 0.63 (2.13-5.39) before the session and 3.24 +/- 0.59 (min-max: 2.3-5.28) after the session (3.9%) (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the mean FEV1/FVC ratio, PEF and FEF25-75 measured before and after hyperbaric exposure. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that among pulmonary function test parameters, decreases were found in FEV1, FVC, FEF25-75, PEF, but clinical significance has not been established.