title: "Lung packing" in breath hold-diving: An impressive case of pulmo-cardiac interaction.
abstract: There is a complex interaction between the heart and the lungs. We report on a healthy female who performs breath hold diving at a high, international level. In order to optimize pressure equalization during diving and to increase oxygen available, apneists employed a special breathing maneuver, so called "lung packing". Based on cardiac MRI we could demonstrate impressive effects of this maneuver on left ventricular geometry and hemodynamics. Beyond the fact, that our findings support the concept of pulmonary -cardiac interrelationship, it should be emphasized, that the reported, extreme breathing maneuver could have detrimental consequences due to reduction of stroke volume and cardiac output.
authors.affiliation: Research Group Experimental Surgery, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, D-40522 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Jochen D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Schipke
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Pneumology and Angiology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Moorensraße 5, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Malte
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kelm
authors.affiliation: Institute of Occupational Medicine and Social Medicine, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Siegmund
authors.affiliation: Institute of Occupational Medicine and Social Medicine, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muth
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Pneumology and Angiology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Moorensraße 5, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Burkhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sievers
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Pneumology and Int. Care Medicine, St. Vincenz Hospital Limburg, Auf dem Schafsberg, D-65549 Limburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Steiner
keywords: Cardiopulmonary interaction; Voluntary apnea; cMRI