Extract
Travel and stay at high altitude for recreational purposes or work is challenging, because the demand for acute acclimatisation to hypobaric hypoxia triggers distinct respiratory, cardiovascular, neurohumoral and psychological shift. The respiratory response, such as increase in respiratory rate, hypoxic vasoconstriction and other mechanisms, may be most pronounced. Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is likely to develop in unacclimatised subjects who rapidly ascend to high altitude, with clearly growing prevalence with increasing altitude [1]. Because AMS is diagnosed when other potential reasons are ruled out, the diagnosis is to a great extent subjective, because the leading symptom of this condition is headache. This article aims to provide more information on AMS, a prevalent condition at high altitude, as well as on emerging novel methods of diagnosis, and to discuss the feasibility of their use at high altitude.
Abstract
An electronic nose does not simply detect the concentrations of selected VOCs in the exhaled air, but verifies the cumulative signature, reflecting the overall VOC concentration. This technology is novel but promising. http://ow.ly/IPCt30mbIBV
Footnotes
Conflict of interest: None declared.
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