Readiness for Firefighting: A Heart Transplant Patient’s Quest to Return to Work

Readiness for Firefighting: A Heart Transplant Patient’s Quest to Return to Work

Heart transplantation patients generally demonstrate exercise capacities that are below the minimal standards for firefighting. Therefore, it is unlikely that heart transplantation patients will receive medical and/or employer clearance for active duty. We report a case of a firefighter who sought t...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Darren E. R. Warburton, Arlana Taylor, Veronica K. Jamnik, Norman Gledhill, Shannon S. D. Bredin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2019-03-01
Series:Journal of Clinical Medicine
Subjects:
transplantation
cardiac rehabilitation
return to work
physically demanding occupations
bona fide fitness requirements
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/8/3/378
Description
Summary:Heart transplantation patients generally demonstrate exercise capacities that are below the minimal standards for firefighting. Therefore, it is unlikely that heart transplantation patients will receive medical and/or employer clearance for active duty. We report a case of a firefighter who sought to return to full-time active duty following heart transplantation. We examined his physiological readiness to return to work during occupation-specific testing. Remarkably, the patient was able to meet the minimal requirements for full active firefighting. This finding provides direct evidence to support the potential of transplant patients returning to active duty in physiologically demanding occupations.
ISSN:2077-0383

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