IMMERSION PULMONARY EDEMA

Course overview

IMMERSION PULMONARY EDEMA (IPE) IS USED AS AN UMBRELLA TERM FOR SCUBA DIVERS PULMONARY EDEMA (SDPE) AND SWIMMING-INDUCED PULMONARY EDEMA (SIPE). BOTH OF THESE CONDITIONS SHARE SIMILAR PRESENTING SYMPTOMS, DIAGNOSTICS, AND TREATMENT. THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY IS NOT COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD, AND BOTH CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY UNDERDIAGNOSED SINCE POSTMORTEM EXAMS WITH PULMONARY EDEMA EXHIBIT NON-SPECIFIC FINDINGS OF HEAVY EDEMATOUS LUNGS AND FROTHY SPUTUM IN THE AIRWAYS. THESE SAME FINDINGS CAN BE FOUND FOLLOWING DROWNING AND PROLONGED RESUSCITATION EFFORTS. THIS ACTIVITY ILLUSTRATES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF IMMERSION PULMONARY EDEMA AND REVIEWS THE ROLE OF INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM MEMBERS IN MANAGING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.