High Altitude Pulmonary Edema
Conditions
Keywords
high altitude pulmonary edema, hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, right ventricular function, hypoxia
Brief summary
It has been shown, that subjects susceptible to high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE)are characterized by an abnormal increase of pulmonary artery pressure at rest in hypoxia and during exercise in normoxia. This abnormal rise of pulmonary artery pressure has also been observed in about 10 % of otherwise healthy subjects without prior altitude exposure. The aim of the study is to investigate the susceptibility to HAPE in unacclimatized subjects with abnormal increase of pulmonary artery pressure at rest in hypoxia and during exercise in normoxia after rapid ascent to high altitude (4559 m).
Interventions
OTHERAltitude Exposure:
rapid ascent to Margherita Hut (4559 m) within 24 h
Sponsors
Heidelberg University
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 50 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* abnormal increase of pulmonary artery pressure at rest in hypoxia and during exercise in normoxia * ability to climb Margherita Hut
Exclusion criteria
* Birth at or above 1500 m altitude * any cardiovascular or pulmonary disease * Infection disease * Intake of drugs, in particular Acetazolamide, Nifedipine, corticosteroids or PDE-5-inhibitors. * Pregnancy
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Frequency of HAPE after rapid ascent to 4559 m | during the 48 h stay at altitude |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Time course of pulmonary artery pressure | during the 48 h stay at altitude |
| Assessment of right ventricular function by echocardiography | during the 48 h stay at altitude |
Countries
Germany
Outcome results
None listed