Static Apnoea in people with physical impairments

Statement of the Problem: People with disabilities try to stay independent in daily life activities. They also try to participate in sport activities, to feel free, independent, satisfied and happy. In PubMed there are no articles about static apnoea in disabled people. Some articles exist on self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) diving in people with disabilities. In the publishes articles it is written, that scuba diving participants felt less anxiety, depression, reported better quality of sleep and improved social functioning (1-5). The purpose of this study is to describe the first static apnoea diving in disabled people. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: On the 28th April 2019 tetra- and paraplegics from five countries competed in freediving under supervision of physician, lifeguard and professional divers. In the beginning participants were prepared for breathless diving and participated in 3-minute deep relaxation. At first, they tried freediving and later duration of breathless dive was measured. Findings: The longest dive lasted 4 minutes and 48 seconds. There were no complications and in the end of competition all competitors felt very well. There was also no samba phenomenon. No article on apnoea or freediving in people with disabilities exist. In articles about scuba diving at disabled persons so far only positive consequences are reported (1-5). The current World record in free dive for men is more than 10 minutes and almost 6 minutes for women. Apnoea and scuba diving in para- and especially tetraplegics or tetra paretic people must be done with an appropriate equipment and under strict supervision of a professional diver, lifeguard and physician to prevent complications (1-6). Conclusion & Significance: All divers felt very well after apnoea diving and there were so complications. In the future further research should be done on apnoea diving in people with physical impairments.

Author(s): Ana Golez Celje General and Teaching Hospital, Slovenia

Abstract | PDF

Share This Article