Snorkeling Induced Pulmonary Edema: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Ruchi Yadav¹, Pramod Theetha Kariyanna¹, Dommalur Jayarangaiah², Delroy Thomas³, Vivek Yadav⁴, Ashkan Tadayoni¹, Lyudmila Aurora¹, Benjamin Ramalanjaona¹ and Isabel M. McFarlane^1,

¹Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and Department of Internal Medicine, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203, U.S.A

²Division of Internal Medicine, The American University of St Vincent, B210-5145, Steeles Ave. W. Toronto, ON M9L 1R5, Canada

³Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines VC0130

⁴Department of Internal Medicine, Brookdale University Hospitals and Medical Center, 1 Brookdale Plaza, Brooklyn, New York, NY 11212, USA

Cite this paper

Ruchi Yadav, Pramod Theetha Kariyanna, Dommalur Jayarangaiah, Delroy Thomas, Vivek Yadav, Ashkan Tadayoni, Lyudmila Aurora, Benjamin Ramalanjaona and Isabel M. McFarlane. Snorkeling Induced Pulmonary Edema: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. American Journal of Medical Case Reports. 2020; 8(7):173-177. doi: 10.12691/AJMCR-8-7-3

Abstract

Swimming-induced pulmonary edema (SIPE), also called immersion pulmonary edema (IPE), is a medical condition seen in various water-based activities such as scuba diving, swimming, aqua jogging, triathlete competition and snorkeling. It occurs when transcapillary filtration of low protein fluid collects in the lungs, in the absence of water aspiration during an aquatic activity, causing acute dyspnea, cough and/or hemoptysis. The hallmark of this entity is the complete resolution of symptoms within 48 hours. SIPE in snorkeling is an under-reported and understudied subject. The true prevalence of SIPE is unknown with an estimated range from 1.8-60% among combat swimmers trainee and 1.4% in triathletes. Recent developments have been done in elucidating the pathophysiology of SIPE with regards to pulmonary capillary pressure so that the predisposing factors and potential causes can be targeted. SIPE can be a potentially life-threatening condition, which needs to be recognized by the swimmers, divers, supervising physicians in order to diagnose and manage it promptly. We report a rare case of SIPE in snorkeling which presented with acute respiratory symptoms and managed with supportive measures in the hospital.

Keywords

pulmonary edema, immersion pulmonary edema, snorkeling, swimming, athletes

Copyright

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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