Effect of   Intermittent Normobaric Hypoxia    Exposures on  Acute Mountain Sickness During Acute Ascent to 3500 m in Indian  Military Personnel

Gopinath Bhaumik; Deepak Dass; Dishari Ghosh; Harish Kumar; Sanjiva Kumar; Utkarsha Kumar; YK Sharma; MPK Reddy; Bhuvnesh Kumar; Shashi Bala Singh

doi:10.14429/dlsj.3.12906

Gopinath Bhaumik
Deepak Dass
Dishari Ghosh
Harish Kumar
Sanjiva Kumar
Utkarsha Kumar
YK Sharma
MPK Reddy
Bhuvnesh Kumar
Shashi Bala Singh

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14429/dlsj.3.12906

Keywords: High altitude, Intermittent normobaric hypoxia, Acute mountain sickness

Abstract

In emergencies/war like situations, rapid deployment of army personnel into high altitude occurs without proper acclimatization. Rapid deployment of unacclimatized soldiers to high mountainous environments may cause debilitating effects on operational capabilities and development of acute mountain sickness (AMS). Altitude acclimatization is the best strategy for the prevention of AMS Use of pharmacological intervention for prevention of AMS is a common practice. The use of intermittent hypoxic exposure (IHE) is an alternative approach for altitude acclimatization and it reduces occurrence and severity of AMS is. But, the use of intermittent normobaric hypoxia exposure at sea level on occurrence of AMS after acute ascent to 3500m altitude in Indian army personnel has not been tested yet.

Author Biographies

Gopinath Bhaumik

Mr G. Bhaumik, Sc ‘F’ (M.Sc. in human physiology) Head
of the High Altitude Physiology Group, DIPAS. His area of
research interest is strategies for rapid acclimatization to high
altitude

Deepak Dass

Mr Deepak Dass, TO ‘B’ (M.Sc in Environmental Biology)works in the Physiology Group, DIPAS. His area of interest is high altitude physiology and technology management. He has obtained his Masters in Technology Management from IIT Delhi

Dishari Ghosh

Dr Dishari Ghosh, Sc ‘D’ (PhD in physiology) works in the
High Altitude Physiology Group, DIPAS. Her area of research
includes high altitude physiology and women health at high
altitude

Harish Kumar

Mr Harish Kumar, TO ‘C’ (M.Sc in Environmental Biology)
works in the high altitude Physiology Group, DIPAS. His area
of research is high altitude physiology

Sanjiva Kumar

Mr Sanjiva Kumar, TO ‘B’ (B.Sc) works in the Experimental
Animal Facility, DIPAS. His area of research is high altitude
physiology

Utkarsha Kumar

Mrs. Utkarsha Kumar, (M.Sc.) is a research fellow at High
Altitude Physiology Group, DIPAS. Her area of research pertains
to the role of carotid bodies at high altitude

YK Sharma

Dr Y.K. Sharma, Sc. ‘F’ (PhD in Statistics) is the Divisional
Head of Biostatistics, DIPAS.

MPK Reddy

Reddy, Sc. ‘F’ (PhD in Physiology) Head of the
Dept of Physiology at DIPAS. His area of research interest is
cardiovascular mechanism at different extreme altitude

Bhuvnesh Kumar

Dr Bhuvnesh Kumar, Sc ‘G’ / Director of DRDO-Defence
Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Delhi, Delhi obtained
his PhD (Veterinary Medicine) from G.B. Pant University of
Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar (Uttarakhand). Earlier
he was Project Director of Low Intensity Conflicts to Counter
Terrorism and Insurgency, and the Director, Project Monitoring
at Directorate of General Life Sciences, DRDO HQrs, and
Director, DIHAR

Shashi Bala Singh

Dr Shashi Bala Singh, Distinguished Scientist and Director
General - Life Sciences (LS), DRDO. She served as Director
of DIHAR, Leh and DIPAS, Delhi. obtained her PhD (Human
Physiology) from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New
Delhi and DSc from Bharathiar University, Coimbatore. She
was conferred with the DRDO Scientist of the Year Award,
in 2010.