Global longitudinal strain assessment of cardiac function and extravascular lung water formation after diving using semi-closed circuit rebreather

Purpose The aim of the present investigation is to study the relationship of ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) and ultrasound lung comets (ULC) formation to establish a link between extravascular pulmonary water formation and cardiac contractile dysfunction. Methods This is a prospective observational study including 14 active military divers. The subjects performed two sea dives of 120 min each with a semi-closed SCUBA circuit at 10 m depth. Divers were examined at baseline, 15 min (D1) and 60 min (D2) after diving. The evaluation included pulmonary and cardiac echography (including speckle tracking techniques). Blood samples were drawn at baseline and after diving, assessing hs-TnT and Endothelin-1. Results ULC were detected in 9 (64.2%) and 8 (57.1%) of the subjects after D1 and D2 respectively. No differences were found in right and left ventricular GLS after both immersions (RV: Baseline: – 17.9 4.9 vs. D1: – 17.2 6.5 and D2: – 16.7 5.8 s −1 ; p = 0.757 and p = 0.529; LV: Baseline: – 17.0 2.3 vs. D1: – 17.4 2.1 and D2: – 16.9 2.2 s −1 ; p = 0.546 and p = 0.783). However, a decrease in atrial longitudinal strain parameters have been detected after diving (RA: Baseline: 35.5 9.2 vs. D1: 30.3 12.8 and D2: 30.7 13.0 s −1 ; p = 0.088 and p = 0.063; LA: Baseline: 39.0 10.0 vs. D1: 31.6 6.1 and D2: 32.4 10.6 s −1 ; p = 0.019 and p = 0.054). Conclusion In the present study, no ventricular contractile dysfunction was observed. However, increase pulmonary vasoconstriction markers were present after diving.