Abstract 12778: A High Physiological Stress Response is Dependent on Call Type in Firefighters

Introduction: CVD and impaired cardiovascular health is noticeably more prevalent in firefighters (FF) than the general population, with over 50% of line-of-duty deaths being cardiovascular related. Many FF have hypertension but less than 25% have their BP under control. The BP and HR response to different calls and job activity in FF is unknown. Thus, we aimed to evaluate and quantify the physiological stress resulting from different types of calls and job activity (fire, medical, riding apparatus) through ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitoring. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that fire calls will result in the largest BP surge in FF compared to other types of calls and work conditions. Methods: FF (n=41; 37M, 4F) wore an ABP monitor for at least 12-hours while working. BP was measured every 30 min during daytime and 60 min during nighttime, if worn overnight. Data was analyzed when > 70% of readings were captured. FF were instructed to force an ABP reading when the pager sounded and whenever they felt they entered a stressful situation. Activity and call type were documented on a log sheet for each measurement. Results: The FF were experienced (16.9 ± 11.9 yrs as FF), overweight (BMI: 30.3 + 4.6 kg/m 2 ), middle aged (41.2 ± 13.1 yrs), and hypertensive with average ABP over the 12 hr shift at 131 ± 13.4 / 79.3 ± 8.8 mmHg and HR 75.7 ± 8.8 bpm. Systolic BP surged 19.2 ± 12.2 with fire calls and 18.7 ± 8.1 mmHg with medical calls. Diastolic BP surged 10.5 ± 9.9 with fire and 16.5 ± 10.5 mmHg with medical calls. There were no differences in BP, HR, or BP surge levels ( P >0.05 for all) between the types of measurements (fire, medical, apparatus, alarms). Compared to average ABP values, the response was higher with fire calls (143.9/85.5 mmHg, 85.5 bpm) than medical calls (139.0/87.0 mmHg, 90.5 bpm). Physiological responses were also high when FF rode apparatus (139.8/83.7 mmHg, 81.9 bpm) and received false alarms (137.6/82.6 mmHg, 83.4 bpm). Conclusion: Fire and medical calls resulted in the greatest CV response. On average, fire calls resulted in a 9% increase in systolic BP and medical calls a 9% increase in diastolic BP and a 16% increase in HR. Further investigation in a larger population is warranted to substantiate these results as well as study other variables that may affect BP and HR responses in FF.