title: [Evaluations of respiratory functional parameters in sponge fishers from the island of Kalimnos (Greece)].
abstract: We had intended to study functional respiratory patterns of a sponge-divers group from the Island of Kalymnos (Greece). Such a group constitutes a very homogeneous sample for dietary habits and underwater activity, handed down from father to son. Some of these sponge-divers dives holding his breath; others use "narghilè", a special apparatus consisting in a nosepiece connected to an air compressor placed in the boat. As their activity is continuative and prolonged for several months in the years with repeated dives from dawn to dusk, and because air output of narghilè is nearly constant, it is possible to deduce that in these subjects functional respiratory modifications are occurred. After evaluated three groups (skindivers, narghilè-divers and control-group) we didn't notice any particular change of static and dynamic pulmonary volumes. Only Expiratory Reserve Volume is higher in spite to Knudson's values; this is probably due to psychological and emotional factors.
mesh_terms: D004242:Diving; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D009787:Occupational Medicine; D012119:Respiration; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests
vernacular_title: Valutazioni dei parametri di funzionalità respiratoria nei pescatori di spugne dell'isola di Kalimnos (Grecia).