OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of a portable hyperbaric chamber for treatment of acute mountain sickness. DESIGN: Controlled randomised trial over two mountaineering seasons. SETTING: High altitude research laboratory at 4559 m above sea level. SUBJECTS:64 climbers with acute mountain sickness randomly allocated to different treatments. INTERVENTIONS: One hour of treatment in the hyperbaric chamber at a pressure of 193 mbar or 20 mbar as control or bed rest. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Symptoms of acute mountain sickness before, immediately after, and 12 hours after treatment. Permitted intake of analgesic and antiemetic drugs in the follow up period. RESULTS: Treatment with 193 mbar caused greater relief of symptoms than did control treatment or bed rest. During the 12 hour follow up period intake of analgesics was similar (58-80% of subjects in each group). Symptom scores had improved in all subjects after 12 hours with no significant differences between groups. CONCLUSIONS: One hour of treatment with 193 mbar in a portable hyperbaric chamber, corresponding to a descent of 2250 m, leads to a short term improvement in symptoms of acute mountain sickness but has no beneficial long term effects attributable to pressurisation.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of a portable hyperbaric chamber for treatment of acute mountain sickness. DESIGN: Controlled randomised trial over two mountaineering seasons. SETTING: High altitude research laboratory at 4559 m above sea level. SUBJECTS: 64 climbers with acute mountain sickness randomly allocated to different treatments. INTERVENTIONS: One hour of treatment in the hyperbaric chamber at a pressure of 193 mbar or 20 mbar as control or bed rest. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Symptoms of acute mountain sickness before, immediately after, and 12 hours after treatment. Permitted intake of analgesic and antiemetic drugs in the follow up period. RESULTS: Treatment with 193 mbar caused greater relief of symptoms than did control treatment or bed rest. During the 12 hour follow up period intake of analgesics was similar (58-80% of subjects in each group). Symptom scores had improved in all subjects after 12 hours with no significant differences between groups. CONCLUSIONS: One hour of treatment with 193 mbar in a portable hyperbaric chamber, corresponding to a descent of 2250 m, leads to a short term improvement in symptoms of acute mountain sickness but has no beneficial long term effects attributable to pressurisation.
Authors: D G Beevers; E Erskine; M Robertson; A D Beattie; B C Campbell; A Goldberg; M R Moore; V M Hawthorne Journal: Lancet Date: 1976-07-03 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: J T Reeves; B M Groves; J R Sutton; P D Wagner; A Cymerman; M K Malconian; P B Rock; P M Young; C S Houston Journal: J Appl Physiol (1985) Date: 1987-08
Authors: J S Milledge; E I Bryson; D M Catley; R Hesp; N Luff; B D Minty; M W Older; N N Payne; M P Ward; W R Withey Journal: Clin Sci (Lond) Date: 1982-06 Impact factor: 6.124
Authors: R B Schoene; S Lahiri; P H Hackett; R M Peters; J S Milledge; C J Pizzo; F H Sarnquist; S J Boyer; D J Graber; K H Maret Journal: J Appl Physiol Respir Environ Exerc Physiol Date: 1984-06
Authors: Víctor H Nieto Estrada; Daniel Molano Franco; Roger David Medina; Alejandro G Gonzalez Garay; Arturo J Martí-Carvajal; Ingrid Arevalo-Rodriguez Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2017-06-27