DIVERS ALERT NETWORK: ASIA-PACIFIC
Divers Alert Network, widely known as DAN, is an international non-profit medical and research organisation dedicated to the safety and health of divers. WWW.DANAP.ORG
IN FOCUS: IMMERSION PULMONARY OEDEMA
WHAT IS IPE AND WHO IS SUSCEPTIBLE?
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condition experienced by divers and swimmers, immersion pulmonary oedema (IPE) is the sudden development of fluid in the lungs. IPE was first reported in 1989 and was originally thought to occur only in cold water. However, cases in warm water have since been reported, too. IPE is uncommon, and the causes of this condition are still not fully understood. Although IPE generally resolves quickly, respiratory distress in divers is very dangerous. As with many other health conditions in diving, it’s imperative to learn the signs.
Symptoms
Like drowning, IPE is the buildup of fluids in the aircontaining spaces of the lungs, interrupting breathing. But unlike drowning, the obstructing fluid comes from within the body rather than from inhalation of surrounding water. The obstructing fluid results from abnormal leakage from the bloodstream into the microscopic air sacs within the lungs (alveoli). This can be the result of heart failure or other cardiac problems, but IPE can also manifest in people for no apparent medical reason. Symptoms include coughing,
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shortness of breath, and sometimes bloody and frothy phlegm. Unlike pulmonary decompression sickness (‘the chokes’), chest pain is not a symptom of IPE. Cases cover the spectrum of mild to severe and are analysed based on factors including diver age, water temperature, and previously existing cardiac conditions. Once the diver leaves the water, there is often spontaneous recovery, however, sometimes diuretics — standard treatment for pulmonary oedema — are needed. And IPE is not depth-dependent; it can occur even in very shallow water. If symptoms occur during a dive, the affected person
A condition experienced by divers and swimmers, immersion pulmonary oedema (IPE) is the sudden development of fluid in the lungs
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