Peer Reviewed
Travel medicine update
Acute mountain sickness
Abstract
Most life-threatening altitude sickness is due to ascending with recognisable symptoms. Here is how to advise the intending high altitude traveller.
Key Points
Travellers of all ages are increasingly accessing high altitude areas. It is important that general practitioners are able to advise their patients on minimising problems associated with high altitude. One such problem is acute mountain sickness (AMS, altitude sickness), which may range in presentation from mild through to severe symptoms and is responsible for a number of deaths each year. The symptoms and especially the severe forms are completely preventable.
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