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Acute mountain sickness: influence of susceptibility, preexposure, and ascent rate.
- Source :
-
Medicine and science in sports and exercise [Med Sci Sports Exerc] 2002 Dec; Vol. 34 (12), pp. 1886-91. - Publication Year :
- 2002
-
Abstract
- Purpose: We examined the interaction of various established risk factors for acute mountain sickness (AMS) in a setting relevant for mountaineering and trekking.<br />Methods: Questionnaires were obtained from 827 mountaineers on the day of arrival at the Capanna Margherita (4559 m) and on the next morning. Susceptibility to AMS was assessed by type and frequency of symptoms during previous exposures. AMS was defined as an AMS-C score >/= 0.7 (environmental symptom questionnaire) on the morning after arrival at 4559 m. Preexposure was defined as having spent more than 4 d above 3000 m during the 2 months preceding the climb to the Capanna Margherita. Slow ascent was defined as ascending in more than 3 d. A risk model was developed by multiple logistic regression and prospectively validated on independent data.<br />Results: In susceptible individuals, the prevalence of AMS was 58% with rapid ascent and no preexposure, 29% with preexposure only, 33% with slow ascent only, and 7% with both preexposure and slow ascent. The corresponding values for nonsusceptible individuals were 31%, 16%, 11%, and 4%. The overall odds ratio for developing AMS in susceptible versus nonsusceptible individuals was 2.9 (95% confidence interval, 2.1-4.1). Age, gender, training, body mass index, alcohol intake, and cigarette smoking had no significant effect in bivariate analyses or in multivariate logistic regressions.<br />Conclusion: Individual susceptibility, rate of ascent, and preexposure are the major, independent determinants for prevalence of AMS.
- Subjects :
- Acetazolamide therapeutic use
Acute Disease
Adult
Alcohol Drinking epidemiology
Altitude Sickness drug therapy
Altitude Sickness etiology
Analgesics therapeutic use
Anticonvulsants therapeutic use
Body Mass Index
Disease Susceptibility complications
Disease Susceptibility epidemiology
Environmental Exposure adverse effects
Europe epidemiology
Female
Glucocorticoids therapeutic use
Humans
Logistic Models
Male
Middle Aged
Predictive Value of Tests
Prevalence
Risk Factors
Severity of Illness Index
Surveys and Questionnaires
Time Factors
Altitude Sickness epidemiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0195-9131
- Volume :
- 34
- Issue :
- 12
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Medicine and science in sports and exercise
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 12471292
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1097/00005768-200212000-00005