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Date: Fri, 10 May 1996 21:32:45 -0700
From: atikkan@ix*.ne*.co* (EE Atikkan )
Subject: Fwd: Pulmonary edema - correction of subject stats
To: techdiver@terra.net
To: scuba-tr@vm*.eg*.ed*.tr*
To: quietfrogmen@bt*.co*
To: dc-scuba@hi*.co*
To: cavers@ge*.co*

Note that the 6 subjects were: 4 female, 2 male, not 4 female, 2 
female!
Apologies
Esat Atikkan

"Well a visit to the chamber was educational to say the least.

In the context of a ResQ course that I was teaching, we visited the 
chamber in Baltimore.  
Dr. Kelton was our guide and gave us the tour and answered a myriad of 
questions from angular concrete chambers to familial DCS trends among 
Mosquito divers.

Having recently returned from the UHMS meeting in Anchorage, AK (which 
I begrudgingly missed), we querried him RE: new, salient, interesting 
topics.

Strikingly what was most interesting (to me) was not the 'recent 
findings in ........... [fill in the blanks], but my ignorance.
It follows:

Abstract of Abstract by Hampson & Dunford - Pulmonary edema of SCUBA 
divers may occur in 'cold' or 'warm' water.

Signs & symptoms of pulmonary edema:
development of severe dyspnea (breathing difficulty) at depth.
Associated S&S:
cough, weakness, expectoration of froth. chest discomfort, orthopnea, 
wheezing, blood in sputum, diziness.

Pulmonary edema is readily diagnosed via chest X-ray and rales, but can 

only be so diagnosed if diver perceives problem & submits to the 
procedure.

Unfortunately it is possible to overlook or disregard these S&S.  In 
particular since it is not apparently limited to cold water, increased 
awareness may be of import.

The problem is readily reversible, either spontaneously or through 
appropriate medical intervention.  Prior medical history of cases 
presenting PE were not remarkable save for 1 (out of 6, age range 24 to 
60, 4 females, 2 females) with hypertension and MVP.

Cold water episodes occurred despite use of drysuits & one case, with 
reoccurrence, was in 27 deg C.

The authors warn that the syndrome may occur in warm water & incidence 
may be higher than that suggested in the literature.


Regards

Esat Atikkan"

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