Study of Treating HAPE with HBO in Situ at the Altitude of 4636m

Study Objective: To evaluate the treatment effect of HAPE with HBO in situ at an extreme altitude of 4636 m. To investigate the relationship between pulmonary hypertension (PH) and HAPE. To emphasize the importance of the treatment in situ.Methods: The 32 patients from the plateau of 4636～5130 m (the barometric pressure: 57.41～53.28 kPa/431.6～400.6 mmHg(1 mmHg=133.3224 Pa), the partial pressure of oxygen: 12.0～11.6 kPa/90.0～87.0 mmHg) were treated in situ of 4636 m altitude with HBO. Before and after the treatment, the clinical symptoms / signs, radiographic evidence, SaO2, and MPAP were compared.Results: The clinical symptoms/signs, and all the targets of the patients were improved dramatically (p<0.001).Conclusions: Treating HAPE with HBO is the most effective method among various therapies in situ at an extreme altitude. The pulmonary -artery pressure was significantly decreased. All cases showed improved immediately. Among the subjects, 11 cases (34.3%) were cured at once. The therapy made it possible for patients to get further treatment at a lower altitude area with prospective good results. We suggested that treating HAPE with HBO should be the first choice in situ. There must be PH in the patients of HAPE, but the reverse is not the true. The PH is a mechanism of normal compensation of the body exposing in the hypoxic environment. It is very necessary for us to explore the threshold of PH when a HAPE happens.

The Difference of the Pulmonary-Artery Pressure of the Migrantsfrom Difference Elevation at the 4636～4907 m Altitude

Study Objective: To compare and analyze the changes of the pulmonary-artery pressure of the migrants coming from different elevation in the hypoxic environment of 4636～4907 m extreme altitude. To explore the susceptibility to hypoxic pulmonary-artery hypertension (PH) in the subjects from different altitude and profession.Methods: By using Color Doppler Ultrasonography (CDU), measuring the pulmonary-artery pressure of 207 healthy men, who had continuously being lived and worked at the extreme altitude for more than six months, and then were divided into three groups according to their profession and the altitude of original living place. Results: There was a significant difference in the outcomes of pulmonary-artery pressure from the 3 groups. Conclusions: Altitude of original living place, labor intensity are some of factors that impact the pulmonary-artery pressure of the people who exposure to a hypoxic environment. The pulmonary-artery pressure of person without strenuously physical work experience was more sensitive to hypoxic surroundings than that of labor workers. It was not always the fact at an extreme altitude that the moderate altitude mountaineers were superior to other migrants from a lower altitude or plain. The higher PH was found in the groups of the moderate altitude mountaineers and labor workers. It is unlikely certain that one with PH would surfer from HAPE.