High Altitude Sickness

Altitude Sickness
Acclimatization and Treatment

Altitude Sickness

This guide is a compilation of web sources to help explain and treat Altitude Sickness. There are many good sources of information and we will not attempt to add another to the world wide mix.

An Altitude Tutorial - International Society for Mountain Medicine
High Altitude Medical Guide

Acclimatization - Physiological Responses

Treatment/Prevention
Diamox - Quoted from the Physician's Desk Reference, 1993
Diamox - WebMD, Altitude Sickness
AMS - Treatment
HACE - Treatment
HAPE - Treatment

Recognition Chart

AMS	In the setting of a recent gain in altitude, the presence of headache and at least one of the following symptoms: • gastrointestinal (anorexia, nausea or vomiting) • fatigue or weakness • dizziness or lightheadedness • difficulty sleeping

HACE	Can be considered "end stage" or severe AMS. In the setting of a recent gain in altitude, either: • the presence of a change in mental status and/or ataxia in a person with AMS • or, the presence of both mental status changes and ataxia in a person without AMS

HAPE	In the setting of a recent gain in altitude, the presence of the following: Symptoms: at least two of: • dyspnea at rest • cough • weakness or decreased exercise performance • chest tightness or congestion Signs: at least two of: • crackles or wheezing in at least one lung field • central cyanosis • tachypnea • tachycardia

Altitude Sickness Acclimatization and Treatment

Altitude Sickness
Acclimatization and Treatment