Working at high altitude: medical problems, misconceptions, and solutions

Author:

West, John B.

Title:

Working at high altitude: medical problems, misconceptions, and solutions

Periodical:

The Observatory

Year:

2004

Volume:

124

Pages:

1-14

Subject:

Altitude mountain sickness (AMS) High altitude physiology Acclimatization Sleep Cerebral edema Pulmonary edema Oxygen

Summary:

This document discusses the serious effects that working at high altitude can have on the mental and physical performance as well as on the quality of sleep on the individuals who work at telescopes that are located at high elevations such as the 4200 meter elevation of the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii, the Chajnantor plateau in north Chile, where more recent and future telescopes will sit an altitude of 5050 meter, and where various instruments are located at the 5800 meter elevation at other nearby sites in Chile. While the deleterious effects of high altitude are reduced by the process of acclimatization, it is a misconception to believe that acclimatization returns one's mental and physical performance to normal. In fact, fully acclimated astronomers, who work on the summit of Mauna Kea, are so oxygen-deprived that they would be entitled to treatment by continuous oxygen therapy if the deprivation was caused by lung disease at sea level. As a result, this document examines how oxygen deprivation affects the human body at high altitude and the effectiveness of acclimatization. It also briefly discusses the diseases that may be associated with high altitude such as Acute Mountain Sickness, High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema, and High-Altitude Cerebral Edema, as well as the benefits of the oxygen enrichment of room air at altitudes of 4200 meters or higher.

Label:

Altitude Mountain Sickness (AMS)

URL:

http://www.ismmed.org/WestReadheadPreprint.pdf

Date:

February 2004

Collection:

Periodicals