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- ARTICLES:
Jonathan Bloch, Hervé Duplain, Stefano F. Rimoldi, Thomas Stuber, Susi Kriemler, Yves Allemann, Claudio Sartori, and Urs Scherrer
- Prevalence and Time Course of Acute Mountain Sickness in Older Children and Adolescents After Rapid Ascent to 3450 Meters
Pediatrics 2009; 123: 1-5
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Personal experience with AMS
- Michael Cater, MD
(21 January 2009)
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Personal experience with AMS |
21 January 2009 |
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Michael Cater, MD,
Pediatrician
private practice
Send letter to journal:
Re: Personal experience with AMS
nitemike1{at}yahoo.com Michael Cater, MD
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Dear Doctors:
I read with great interest your article on Acute Mountain Sickness in
adolsescents. I just wanted to relate to you my own personal experience
with this entity.
As a child and adolescent my family would travel to the High Sierras
in California for our summer vacation each year and camp for a week.
Altitude about 10,500 feet. More often than not I would get AMS (sever
headache, malaise, nausea and lightheadededness) which limited my
activities severly for about the first three of the seven days of our
vacation. I took aspirin, stayed in bed and by the third day I was
usually able to participate in family activities by the fourth day. When
I got into medical school I continued my weekly sojourns to the High
Sierras. However, I develop a routine of taking dexamethasone, 4 mg q6
hours commencing on departure (a six hour trip to the mountains) and
continuing for 48 hours. Since I started using this regimen I have never
had another bout of AMS.
As a pediatrician we use short course dexamethasone for treatment of
illnesses (such as croup) not infrequently. It rarely is associated with
side effects (except the taste when used orally). I have found it to be
safe and effective whenever I have used dexamethasone in short courses and
it has been exceptionally effective in ameliorating my episodes of AMS for
many years. I would appreciate any comments you have to make.
Sincerely yours,
Michael W. Cater, MD
Conflict of Interest:
None declared |
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