The incidence, the most common symptoms and risk factors of altitude sickness in children

High-altitude tourism is gaining popularity. Mountains are also becoming an increasingly popular destination for school or family trips. This suggests that the number of children with high-altitude diseases, including acute mountain sickness (AMS), will also rise. The aim of this literature review was to determine the epidemiology of acute mountain sickness, its most common manifestations and risk factors in children. We analysed papers from the last 5 years, which were found by two independent authors using PubMed, ResearchGate and Google Scholar. The following keywords were used to identify relevant studies: acute mountain sickness, altitude sickness, children (by Medical Subject Headings). After screening with the exclusion criteria, the final analysis included 5 papers, which were assessed for the quality of evidence. The incidence of acute mountain sickness in children is 30–45% at elevations below 4,000 m. There were no differences compared to an adult population. Headache, sleep disorders and dizziness are the most common symptoms of acute mountain sickness in children. Further research is needed to identify factors that predispose children to this disease. In the light of the increasingly intensive alpine tourism among children, research on the sequelae of acute mountain sickness is recommended.

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Acute high-altitude sickness

European Respiratory Review ◽

10.1183/16000617.0096-2016 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 26 (143) ◽

pp. 160096 ◽

Cited By ~ 78

Author(s):

Andrew M. Luks ◽

Erik R. Swenson ◽

Peter Bärtsch

Keyword(s):

High Altitude ◽

Pulmonary Oedema ◽

Cerebral Oedema ◽

Hypoxic Pulmonary Vasoconstriction ◽

Acute Mountain Sickness ◽

Resonance Imaging ◽

Altitude Sickness ◽

Pulmonary Vasoconstriction ◽

Prevention And Treatment ◽

Mountain Sickness

At any point 1–5 days following ascent to altitudes ≥2500 m, individuals are at risk of developing one of three forms of acute altitude illness: acute mountain sickness, a syndrome of nonspecific symptoms including headache, lassitude, dizziness and nausea; high-altitude cerebral oedema, a potentially fatal illness characterised by ataxia, decreased consciousness and characteristic changes on magnetic resonance imaging; and high-altitude pulmonary oedema, a noncardiogenic form of pulmonary oedema resulting from excessive hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction which can be fatal if not recognised and treated promptly. This review provides detailed information about each of these important clinical entities. After reviewing the clinical features, epidemiology and current understanding of the pathophysiology of each disorder, we describe the current pharmacological and nonpharmacological approaches to the prevention and treatment of these diseases.

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Identifying risk factors that contribute to acute mountain sickness

South African Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.7196/sajsm.8112 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 27 (3) ◽

pp. 82-86

Author(s):

Z Mahomed ◽

D Martin ◽

E Gilbert ◽

CC Grant ◽

J Patricios ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Body Mass Index ◽

High Altitude ◽

Acute Mountain Sickness ◽

Health Sector ◽

Demographic Variables ◽

Base Camp ◽

Potential Risk Factors ◽

Mountain Sickness ◽

Physiological Risk

Background. Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is an ever-increasing burden on the health sector. With reported incidences of greater than 50%, coupled with the fact that recreational activities at high altitude are gaining increasing popularity, more persons are developing AMS. Physicians are therefore increasingly faced with the task of managing and preventing AMS.Objectives. The pathophysiology of AMS is poorly understood, with little understanding of risk factors for the development of AMS. This research aimed to identify epidemiological and physiological risk factors for development of AMS.Methods. This study is a questionnaire-based study conducted in London and at Everest Base Camp, in which 116 lowlanders were invited to participate and fill in a questionnaire to identify potential risk factors in their history that may have contributed to development of or protection against AMS.Results. A total of 89 lowlanders enrolled in the study. Thirty-seven of the participants had AMS at Everest Base Camp, giving a prevalence of 42%. Of the demographic variables, only weight and body mass index (BMI) were statistically significantly associated with AMS, with those who weighed less or had a lower BMI more likely to get AMS. Previous high-altitude experience was also associated with AMS, with those who had such experience less likely to get AMS.Conclusion. Predicting AMS and furthering our understanding of the pathophysiology of AMS will be of tremendous benefit. Further research is needed in this regard.

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Acute Mountain Sickness, High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, and High Altitude Cerebral Edema: A view from the High Andes

10.31219/osf.io/wsqma ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Gustavo Zubieta-Calleja ◽

Natalia Zubieta-DeUrioste

Keyword(s):

Pulmonary Edema ◽

High Altitude ◽

Cerebral Edema ◽

Acute Mountain Sickness ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Number Of Children ◽

High Altitude Pulmonary Edema ◽

High Altitude Cerebral Edema ◽

Potential Risks ◽

Mountain Sickness

Healthy children and those with pre-existing conditions traveling to high altitude may experience diverse physiologic changes. Individuals who are not acclimatized and ascend rapidly are at risk of developing acute high altitude illnesses (HAI), which may occur within a few hours after arrival at high altitudes, being acute mountain sickness (AMS) the most common. In very few cases, serious complications may occur, including High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) and very rarely High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE). Moreover, the number of children and adolescents traveling on commercial aircrafts is growing and this poses a need for their treating physicians to be aware of the potential risks of hypoxia while air traveling. In this article we present 50 years of medical practice at high altitude treating these pathologies succesfully with no casualties.

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A case report of high altitude sickness with features of acute mountain sickness (AMS), high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) and high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE)

Indian Journal of Clinical Anaesthesia ◽

10.5958/2394-4994.2016.00020.2 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 131

Author(s):

Asif Iqbal ◽

Samiullah Majoo

Keyword(s):

Case Report ◽

Pulmonary Edema ◽

High Altitude ◽

Cerebral Edema ◽

Acute Mountain Sickness ◽

Altitude Sickness ◽

High Altitude Pulmonary Edema ◽

High Altitude Cerebral Edema ◽

Mountain Sickness

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Prevalence of and risk factors for acute mountain sickness among a cohort of high-altitude travellers who received pre-travel counselling

Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease ◽

10.1016/j.tmaid.2014.08.004 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 534-540 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Maud Santantonio ◽

Jean-Marc Chapplain ◽

Pierre Tattevin ◽

Hélène Leroy ◽

Eric Mener ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

High Altitude ◽

Acute Mountain Sickness ◽

Mountain Sickness

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Women at Altitude: Effect of Menstrual-Cycle Phase on Acute Mountain Sickness During Deployment to High Altitude Terrain

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e462652006-001 ◽

2001 ◽

Author(s):

Paul B. Rock ◽

Stephen R. Muza ◽

Charles S. Fulco ◽

Barry Braun ◽

Stacy Zamudio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Menstrual Cycle ◽

High Altitude ◽

Acute Mountain Sickness ◽

Cycle Phase ◽

Menstrual Cycle Phase ◽

Altitude Effect ◽

Mountain Sickness

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Optic nerve sheath diameter changes at high altitude and in acute mountain sickness: meta-regression analyses

British Journal of Ophthalmology ◽

10.1136/bjophthalmol-2020-317717 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. bjophthalmol-2020-317717

Author(s):

Tou-Yuan Tsai ◽

George Gozari ◽

Yung-Cheng Su ◽

Yi-Kung Lee ◽

Yu-Kang Tu

Keyword(s):

Optic Nerve ◽

High Altitude ◽

Acute Mountain Sickness ◽

Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter ◽

Optic Nerve Sheath ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

Spline Regression ◽

Nerve Sheath ◽

Mountain Sickness

Background/aimsTo assess changes in optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) at high altitude and in acute mountain sickness (AMS).MethodsCochrane Library, EMBASE, Google Scholar and PubMed were searched for articles published from their inception to 31st of July 2020. Outcome measures were mean changes of ONSD at high altitude and difference in ONSD change between subjects with and without AMS. Meta-regressions were conducted to investigate the relation of ONSD change to altitude and time spent at that altitude.ResultsEight studies with 248 participants comparing ONSD from sea level to high altitude, and five studies with 454 participants comparing subjects with or without AMS, were included. ONSD increased by 0.14 mm per 1000 m after adjustment for time (95% CI: 0.10 to 0.18; p<0.01). Restricted cubic spline regression revealed an almost linear relation between ONSD change and time within 2 days. ONSD was greater in subjects with AMS (mean difference=0.47; 95% CI: 0.14 to 0.80; p=0.01; I2=89.4%).ConclusionOur analysis shows that ONSD changes correlate with altitude and tend to increase in subjects with AMS. Small study number and high heterogeneity are the limitations of our study. Further large prospective studies are required to verify our findings.

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