Phrenic neuropathy water immersion dyspnea: Clinical findings and need for patient counseling.

Respiratory distress with water immersion activities is a serious complication of phrenic neuropathies. Physician-documented counseling is lacking. Isolated phrenic neuritis, neuralgic amyotrophy, and right-sided and bilateral phrenic involvement are most commonly implicated, but the range of severity and testing abnormalities suggest that all patients with neuralgic amyotrophy or phrenic neuropathy should be warned especially about diving into water.