Immersion Pulmonary Edema May Cause Swimming Deaths During Triathlons

Contact: Amara Omeokwe Phone: [phone] Email:[e-mail]://www.dukehealth.orgFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE on Thursday, September 1, 2016DURHAM, N.C. --  Heart abnormalities linked to immersion pulmonary edema were present in a greater-than-expected proportion of triathletes who died during the competition’s swim portion, according to astudy led by researchers at Duke Health.The findings, published Aug. 29 in the journal BMJ Open Sport& Exercise Medicine, are based on an analysis of autopsy reports of people who died in the United States and Canada between 2008 and 2015 while participating in triathlons. Triathlon competitions involve consecutive races of swimming, bicycling and running.Study investigators identified 58 deaths during the time period, with 42 of those occurring during the swim. Researchers examined autopsy reports on 23 of the 42 deaths.Richard Moon, M.D., the study ’s first author and a professor of anesthesiology and medicine at the Duke University School of Medicine, said he and co-investigators reviewed the autopsy reports to identify whether conditions were present that may have made the athletes susceptible to immersion pulmonary edema (IPE, in the stud y abbreviated as IPO based on the Greek spelling of oedema).IPE, also known as swimming-induced pulmonary edema, occurs when the lungs suddenly fill with body fluids during activities in cold water, such as swimming and diving. IPE can lead to difficulty breathing, wheezing and confus...

Source: DukeHealth.org: Duke Health Features - September 1, 2016 Category: Pediatrics Tags: Duke Medicine Source Type: news