Acute Mountain Sickness

As the number of international, adventure, and wilderness travelers increase, physicians in all locations and types of practices may be asked to counsel and provide prophylaxis or self-treatment for a variety of travel-related illnesses. At higher altitudes, the decreased partial pressure of oxygen can cause several pathological presentations, including High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, High Altitude Cerebral Edema, and the milder, but much more common, Acute Mountain Sickness (also referred to as Altitude Illness or Altitude Sickness). High Altitude Pulmonary Edema and High Altitude Cerebral Edema are both life-threatening emergencies requiring immediate treatment, with a descent to lower altitude (or higher pressure artificial environment) as quickly as can be safely arranged and executed. In contrast, Acute Mountain Sickness symptoms can be prevented or managed with oral medication, and Acute Mountain Sickness does not typically require descent or oxygen supplementation. High altitude environments exist at elevations over 1,500 meters. The higher the altitude, the less the oxygen saturation and risk of hypoxemia.