Table 1.
Characteristics of climbers with altitude illness
| Characteristic | AMS (n = 54) | HAPE (n = 71) | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 37.0 (27.0–55.8) | 47.0 (37.0–57.5) | 0.054 |
| Sex (M), n (%) | 28 (51.9) | 50 (70.4) | 0.034 |
| Maximum altitude (m) | 4310 (3550–4930) | 4410 (3860–4983) | 0.397 |
| Percentage took Diamoxa | 16 (29.6) | 37 (52.1) | 0.012 |
| Temperature (°C) | 37.0 (36.6–37.3) | 37.4 (37.0–38.0) | 0.001 |
| Systolic BP (mm Hg) | 120 (102–130) | 110 (100–130) | 0.248 |
| Pulse rate (bpm) | 75.0 (64.5–82.0) | 80.0 (74.0–89.5) | 0.034 |
| SpO2 (%) | 97.0 (95.0–98.0) | 91.0 (85.5–96.0) | < 0.001 |
| WBC | 9000 (7100–11 600) | 11 150 (7975–14 188) | 0.064 |
| Hematocrit (%) | 43.5 (40.8–48.0) | 43.0 (42.0–46.0) | 0.943 |
| Lake Louise Score | 11 (9–13) | 14 (11–16) | 0.002 |
Measurements of characteristics were taken upon evacuation/presentation to the clinic for each climber and analysed by Mann–Whitney U test.
aDiamox taken for treatment of symptoms.