Joint position statement on immersion pulmonary oedema and diving from the South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society (SPUMS) and the United Kingdom Diving Medical Committee (UKDMC) 2024.

This joint position statement (JPS) on immersion pulmonary oedema (IPO) and diving is the product of a workshop held at the 52nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society (SPUMS) from 12-17 May 2024, and consultation with the United Kingdom Diving Medical Committee (UKDMC), three members of which attended the meeting. The JPS is a consensus of experts with relevant evidence cited where available. The statement reviews the nomenclature, pathophysiology, risk factors, clinical features, prehospital treatment, investigation of and the fitness for future compressed gas diving following an episode of IPO. Immersion pulmonary oedema is a life-threatening illness that requires emergency management as described in this statement. A diver with previous suspected or confirmed IPO should consult a medical practitioner experienced in diving medicine. The SPUMS and the UKDMC strongly advise against further compressed gas diving if an individual has experienced an episode of IPO.
Competing Interests: Dr Turner acts as a consultant and proctor for St Jude Medical, Medtronic and Edwards Lifesciences, as a consultant and lecturer for Gore Medical and performs PFO closures on private patients. The other authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Professor Mitchell is the editor of Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Journal, but as a societal consensus guideline this manuscript was not subject to peer review and a resulting publication decision. No external funding was declared.
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