Abstract
Acute mountain sickness was known to the Chinese in ancient times, as they traversed mountain passes between the Great Headache and Little Headache mountains into present-day Afghanistan. The Jesuit priest, Father Joseph Acosta, lived in Peru during the sixteenth century; he described both this syndrome and deaths which occurred in the high Andes. The incidence of high-altitude illness will rise as previously remote sites become more accessible to trekkers and skiers. Prevention and treatment are important concerns for those physicians who wish to advise their more adventuresome patients properly. This article incorporates a selected review of pertinent investigations, in the English-language literature over the past five years, into material previously presented at travel symposia for clinicians managing the prophylaxis and treatment of acute mountain sickness.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Acute mountain sickness. N Engl J Med. 1989 Jun 1;320(22):1492–1493. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198906013202212. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Acute mountain sickness. N Engl J Med. 1989 Jun 1;320(22):1492–1493. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198906013202212. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Adams J. M., Johnson N. L. Inhibiting carbonic anhydrase in brain tissue increases the respiratory response to rebreathing CO2. Brain Res. 1990 Jun 11;519(1-2):23–28. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(90)90056-h. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bärtsch P., Maggiorini M., Ritter M., Noti C., Vock P., Oelz O. Prevention of high-altitude pulmonary edema by nifedipine. N Engl J Med. 1991 Oct 31;325(18):1284–1289. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199110313251805. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ellsworth A. J., Meyer E. F., Larson E. B. Acetazolamide or dexamethasone use versus placebo to prevent acute mountain sickness on Mount Rainier. West J Med. 1991 Mar;154(3):289–293. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Grissom C. K., Roach R. C., Sarnquist F. H., Hackett P. H. Acetazolamide in the treatment of acute mountain sickness: clinical efficacy and effect on gas exchange. Ann Intern Med. 1992 Mar 15;116(6):461–465. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-116-6-461. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Houston C. S. Trekking at high altitudes. How safe is it for your patients? Postgrad Med. 1990 Jul;88(1):56-8, 61-3, 67-8 passim. doi: 10.1080/00325481.1990.11716360. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Johnson T. S., Rock P. B. Current concepts. Acute mountain sickness. N Engl J Med. 1988 Sep 29;319(13):841–845. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198809293191306. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Masuyama S., Hirata K., Saito A. 'Ondine's curse': side effect of acetazolamide? Am J Med. 1989 May;86(5):637–637. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(89)90422-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Miller L. G., Miller S. M. Altered taste secondary to acetazolamide therapy. J Fam Pract. 1990 Aug;31(2):199–200. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Naeije R., Mélot C. Acute pulmonary oedema on the Ruwenzori mountain range. Br Heart J. 1990 Dec;64(6):400–402. doi: 10.1136/hrt.64.6.400. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rennie D. The great breathlessness mountains. JAMA. 1986 Jul 4;256(1):81–82. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Zell S. C., Goodman P. H. Acetazolamide and dexamethasone in the prevention of acute mountain sickness. West J Med. 1988 May;148(5):541–545. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]