Acute respiratory emergencies in emergency treatment of the injured athlete

Abstract

The growing appreciation of physical fitness and exercise by both physicians and lay people has resulted in an increasing number of individuals who are actively participating in sports and athletics. As a result, physicians will encounter a greater number of individuals who may develop such respiratory emergencies as exercise-induced bronchospasm, hypotension associated with exercise-induced anaphylaxis, which is dependent on ingestion of a particular foodstuff, or cholinergic urticaria. Those athletes who enjoy alpine sports and recreation, are potentially at risk for the development of high-altitude medical problems, in particular, high-altitude pulmonary edema. Although rare in the well-conditioned athlete, spontaneous pneumothorax and pulmonary emboli do occur, and must be considered in the evaluation of the athlete with an acute onset of cough and dyspnea.