Acute mountain sickness in children at 2835 meters
M. K. Theis, B. Honigman, R. Yip, D. McBride, C. S. Houston and L. G. Moore
Colorado Altitude Research Institute, Keystone.
OBJECTIVE--Acute mountain sickness has been described in adults but little
is known concerning its occurrence in children. Our objective was to
determine the incidence of acute mountain sickness in children. METHODS--A
survey questionnaire was completed by 558 children (aged 9 to 14 years)
after they ascended from 1600 to 2835 m and from 405 similarly aged
children after travel at sea level. RESULTS--Three or more of the following
symptoms in the high-altitude setting were considered as the case
definition of acute mountain sickness: headache, loss of appetite,
vomiting, fatigue, insomnia, shortness of breath, and dizziness. One
hundred fifty-six (28%) of the children at 2835 m developed acute mountain
sickness. Three or more symptoms developed in a smaller, but nonetheless
considerable, number (86 [21%]) of children at sea level. Headache,
shortness of breath, and dizziness were reported more frequently at high
altitude than at low altitude, whereas the other symptoms occurred with
equal frequency at the two locations. CONCLUSIONS--More than one fourth of
the children visiting high altitude developed acute mountain sickness. A
high proportion (21%) of children at sea level developed similar symptoms,
suggesting that an appreciable portion of the symptoms present were due to
factors other than altitude, such as travel, anxiety, or disruption of
daily routine.
