DIVE LOG DECEMBER 25 ISSUE 415

R EEF MAGIC HOSTS IMMERSION PULMONARY OEDEMA STUDY © J. Lippmann, 2025 Chairman & CEO Australasian Diving Safety Founda ti on

of Western Australia, Cur ti n University, Fiona Stanley Hospital and the Royal Perth Hospital have experience in studying marathon swimmers over mul ti ple years at the Ro tt nest Channel Swim, and were interested in exploring other aqua ti c ac ti vi ti es. Reef Magic , a large snorkel and dive operator out of Cairns, were approached and agreed to host the study on its pontoon on Moore Reef, and Philips agreed to send valuable ultrasound equipment to Cairns to be used on the study. The team went to the pontoon on four consecu ti ve days in early October and monitored around 70 par ti cipants. A ques ti onnaire and tests including blood pressure, oxygen satura ti on, lung ultrasound and echocardiographs were conducted before and a ft er snorkelling or diving. The data will be analysed and reported in due course. We are very grateful to Reef Magic and GBR Biology for hos ti ng the study and for the hospitality and professionalism of its sta ff , and for allowing us to approach its customers to par ti cipate in the study. We are also grateful to Philips for providing the equipment, and to the ADSF for funding the study. Special thanks to the research team which included an emergency physician/diving medical specialist, an intensive care physician, echocardiographers, ultrasonographers, and physiologists. Any readers who believe they have experienced IPO while snorkelling or diving are encouraged to contact John Lippmann at johnl@adsf.org.au.

I mmersion Pulmonary Oedema (IPO) is a condi ti on that occurs in a variety of aqua ti c ac ti vi ti es including swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving. It is caused by fl uid leaking into the air spaces (alveoli) of the lungs and causing breathing di ffi culty, which can some ti mes become severe. Typical signs and symptoms include shortness of breath; coughing, o ft en with pinkish/brown, frothy sputum; blueness of the face; distress; and fa ti gue. Although many cases resolve themselves quite quickly, some people require urgent medical care, and some cases prove fatal. First aid includes removal from the water, resuscita ti on if required, managing in a posi ti on of greatest comfort (if conscious), provision of high concentra ti on oxygen, and ac ti va ti ng the ambulance. An increasing number of snorkelling and scuba diving accidents worldwide are being a tt ributed to IPO, o ft en based on very li tt le reliable evidence. To this end, it is important to try to be tt er understand the extent of the problem, so that suitable preven ti on measures can be iden ti fi ed and implemented. The Australasian Diving Safety Founda ti on (ADSF) has been keen to encourage and fund a study to obtain informa ti on about the prevalence of IPO in snorkellers and divers, even those without obvious signs and symptoms. A group of researchers from the University

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DIVE LOG Australasia #415 - December‘25

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