Exercise & Training

[Swimming induced pulmonary edema].

Ahlqvist M, Millberg M, Jansson A • Lakartidningen • 2026

PubMed 42922277 DOI 10.65868/FOSO2407
TL;DR

A previously healthy 23-year-old man developed swimming induced pulmonary edema (SIPE) during a 250 km swimrun race and recovered within 24 hours of BiPAP treatment. The authors aim to alert physicians to this relatively rare condition, as they have noted a marked increase in SIPE presentations alongside rising swimrun participation.

Key Findings

Results

A previously healthy 23-year-old male developed SIPE during a 250 km swimrun race in Stockholm in September 2025.

  • Symptoms appeared after 15 hours of combined running and swimming.
  • Presenting features were dyspnea, cough, and pink sputum.
  • Lung auscultation revealed crackles.
Results

The patient had severe hypoxemia at presentation.

  • Oxygen saturation was 65% on room air.
  • Pink sputum and crackles on auscultation were consistent with pulmonary edema.
Results

The patient was treated with airlift transport and BiPAP and was discharged after 24 hours.

  • He was airlifted to the Karolinska University Hospital in Solna.
  • BiPAP (non-invasive ventilation) was the treatment described.
  • Discharge occurred 24 hours after presentation, indicating rapid recovery.
Results

Echocardiography showed no cardiac abnormalities other than a discreet tricuspid regurgitation.

  • The absence of significant structural or functional cardiac disease is consistent with SIPE in a previously healthy individual.
Discussion

The authors report a marked increase in SIPE presentations in parallel with growing swimrun participation.

  • This is described as an observation by the authors, not a quantified analysis.
  • The case report aims to inform and alert physicians about this relatively rare condition.
Discussion

The article briefly reviews the pathophysiology and diagnostic criteria of SIPE.

  • The review is intended to help physicians recognize the condition.

What This Means

This case report describes a healthy 23-year-old man who developed fluid in his lungs, called swimming induced pulmonary edema (SIPE), during a 250 km swimrun race in Stockholm. Swimrun alternates running and open-water swimming. After about 15 hours he became short of breath, coughed up pink sputum, and his blood oxygen level dropped to 65%, which is dangerously low. He was flown to a hospital and given BiPAP, a breathing support machine that delivers pressurized air through a mask. A heart ultrasound showed no significant problems apart from a very mild leak in one heart valve. He was discharged after 24 hours, suggesting that the condition can resolve quickly with prompt treatment. The authors say they have seen more SIPE cases as swimrun has become more popular. This research suggests that doctors, especially those caring for endurance athletes, should be aware of this relatively rare condition. As a single case report, it cannot show how common SIPE is or what causes it in any individual.

Check Your Own Numbers

Upload your bloodwork. We'll cross-reference your results against this study and 4,700 others.

Upload Your Labs

Have a question about this study?

Presence or severity of Hashimoto's thyroiditis does not influence basal calcitonin levels: observations from CROHT biobank.
Journal of endocrinological investigation • 2022

HT patients of all disease stages preserve Ct production as healthy individuals and there is no need for Ct measurements...
Approach to the Patient: Safety of Growth Hormone Replacement in Children and Adolescents.
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism • 2022

rhGH therapy has been used for more than 3 decades and data are largely reassuring, yet we still have much to learn abou...
Extended Absorption of Liothyronine from Poly-Zinc-Liothyronine: Results from a Phase 1, Double-Blind, Randomized, and Controlled Study in Humans.
Thyroid : official journal of the American Thyroid Association • 2022

PZL possesses the necessary properties to achieve a much improved T3 pharmacokinetic profile, with ~30% lower Cmax that...
Lipoprotein subtypes after testosterone therapy in transmasculine adolescents.
Journal of clinical lipidology • 2022

Testosterone appears to be a major contributor to differences in lipoprotein profiles, a surrogate for cardiovascular di...
Long-term testosterone undecanoate treatment in the elderly testosterone deficient male: An observational cohort study.
Andrology • 2022

Long-acting testosterone undecanoate treatment in elderly testosterone-deficient patients required more frequent dose ad...
Society for Endocrinology guidelines for testosterone replacement therapy in male hypogonadism.
Clinical endocrinology • 2022

The Society for Endocrinology commissioned a multidisciplinary guideline to provide all care providers with a comprehens...

Citation

Ahlqvist M, Millberg M, Jansson A. (2026). [Swimming induced pulmonary edema].. Lakartidningen. https://doi.org/10.65868/FOSO2407