Prevalence and knowledge about acute mountain sickness in the Western Alps

Area of Science:

• Altitude sickness research
• Mountaineering medicine
• Environmental health

Background:

• Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is a common concern for high-altitude expeditions.
• Understanding AMS prevalence and risk factors is crucial for mountaineer safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of AMS in Western Alps mountaineers at various altitudes.
• To identify risk factors influencing AMS development.
• To assess the impact of AMS and high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) knowledge on prevalence.

Main Methods:

• Observational, cross-sectional study involving 1370 mountaineers.
• AMS assessed using Lake Louise score (LLS) and AMS-Cerebral (AMS-C) score.
• Questionnaires evaluated AMS/HACE knowledge and potential risk factors.

Main Results:

• AMS prevalence increased with altitude, reaching 21.9% (LLS) and 15% (AMS-C) at 4559m.
• Overnight AMS prevalence rose significantly at higher altitudes (3650m and 4559m).
• Risk factors included prior AMS, higher altitude, less pre-acclimatization, and younger age; knowledge level was indistinct.

Conclusions:

• AMS is prevalent at altitudes of 3650m and above.
• Enhanced knowledge of AMS and HACE did not correlate with reduced AMS incidence in this study population.
• Mountaineers generally possessed limited knowledge regarding AMS and HACE.