Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Altitude sickness screening
Introduction
Overview
Overview
There is insufficient evidence to recommend routine screening for altitude sickness which include cold pressor test, heart rate variability, pulmonary function test.
Screening
Screening
- Screening among patients with altitude sickness include:[1][2][3][4]
- Cold pressor test
- Put one hand above the wrist for 1 min in ice water (4-5°C)
- Measuring blood pressure on the opposite arm at 15 seconds intervals
- Difference between peak and basal blood pressure determines the level of vascular reactivity
- Heart rate variability
- Participants resting in supine position and wear a chest strap from a heart rate monitor watch
- After 5 minutes rest period, heart rate is collected on a beat-by-beat basis for 10 minutes
- Pulmonary function test
- Measure flow-volume loop, maximal voluntary ventilation, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and peak expiratory flow
- Cold pressor test
References
References
- ↑ Song H, Ke T, Luo WJ, Chen JY (September 2013). “Non-high altitude methods for rapid screening of susceptibility to acute mountain sickness”. BMC Public Health. 13: 902. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-902. PMC 3852617. PMID 24079477.
- ↑ Velasco M, Gómez J, Blanco M, Rodriguez I (January 1997). “The cold pressor test: pharmacological and therapeutic aspects”. Am J Ther. 4 (1): 34–8. PMID 10423589.
- ↑ Loeppky JA, Icenogle MV, Maes D, Riboni K, Scotto P, Roach RC (2003). “Body temperature, autonomic responses, and acute mountain sickness”. High Alt. Med. Biol. 4 (3): 367–73. doi:10.1089/152702903769192322. PMID 14561242.
- ↑ Anholm JD, Houston CS, Hyers TM (January 1979). “The relationship between acute mountain sickness and pulmonary ventilation at 2,835 meters (9,300 ft)”. Chest. 75 (1): 33–6. PMID 421519.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Farima Kahe M.D. [2]