High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema

Abstract

High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema (HAPO) is the most common serious ailment affecting troops serving at high altitude. The incidence is about 1 in 200 amongst individuals proceeding by air to an altitude of 11 000 feet (3,413.7 m).The manifestations of HAPO are : cough, dyspnoea, haemoptysis, weakness, absence of signs of infection, presence of pulmonary rales and cyanosis and prompt disappearance of symptoms and signs with treatment with bed rest, and therapy with supplemental oxygen. Prompt and adequate treatment yields eminently gratifying results in practically every instance. Oxygen and bed rest remain the sheet anchor of treatment, supplemented on occasion by diuretics and sedatives.The role of digoxin in the therapy of HAPO is debateable and its aetiopathogenesis is still unclear. The paper presents the clinical data of the first series of cases to be reported from India, and compares the findings with those of other and subsequent workers.