Prospective Assessment of Swimming-Induced Pulmonary Edema in Open-Water Athletes at Moderate Elevations: Incidence and Diagnostic Utility of Point-of-Care Ultrasound

Key Result

Handheld lung ultrasound is feasible in endurance races, and using a diagnostic cutoff of ≤93% improves accuracy for detecting swimming-induced pulmonary edema at altitude.

Key Points

• To evaluate the incidence and diagnostic effectiveness of handheld lung ultrasound for swimming-induced pulmonary edema at moderate elevations.
• Prospective assessment of open-water athletes during endurance races at moderate elevations.
• Utilized handheld lung ultrasound to diagnose pulmonary edema in real-time during events.
• Evaluated diagnostic cutoffs and their accuracy for assessing swimming-induced pulmonary edema.
• Found that diagnostic cutoffs of ≤93% improved the accuracy of identifying swimming-induced pulmonary edema.
• Handheld lung ultrasound was feasible and effective in a race setting, allowing for timely diagnosis.
• Integrated handheld ultrasound into medical protocols can enhance athlete safety during endurance events.