Boy Scouts of America

Acute Mountain Sickness Recognition and Prevention

SUMMARY

Are you getting ready for your Philmont Trek and a summit of Baldy Mountain? Perhaps you live close to sea level and plan to hike the John Muir Trail in the Sierra Nevada range, Kings Peak in the Uinta range, or some 14ers in Colorado. These trips might result in symptoms or effects of acute mountain sickness (AMS), high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), or high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), which if untreated could result in death. As altitude is gained, air grows “thinner,” and less oxygen is inhaled with each breath.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)

  • Have you recently arrived at an altitude of 6,000 feet or higher? Look for signs of AMS, such as headaches, loss of normal appetite, nausea (with or without vomiting), insomnia, and an unusual weariness and exhaustion.

  • The treatment is to descend or to stop ascending and wait for improvement before going higher. Continuing to ascend in the presence of symptoms is not recommended. If the illness progresses, descent is needed.

High-Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE)

  • Be watchful for loss of coordination (e.g., an inability to walk a straight line or stand straight with feet together and eyes closed).

  • Signs and symptoms of HACE often include a severe headache unrelieved by rest and medication, bizarre changes in personality, seizures, and coma.

High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE)

  • HAPE symptoms often appear initially as a dry cough, soon followed by shortness of breath, even at rest. Shortness of breath becomes more pronounced and may be accompanied by chest pain as fluid collects in the lungs.

  • The cough may become productive with frothy sputum early on that may turn reddish.

PREVENTION GUIDELINES

Preparation: Discuss your planned climb with your health care provider while undergoing a pre-participation exam (Part C of the Annual Health and Medical Record). Improve your fitness with regular hikes while carrying a load in anticipation of your climb.

Staged ascent: If possible, your first camp should be no higher than 8,000 feet. Increase no more than 1,000 to 1,500 feet per day. When starting out higher than 9,000 feet, spend two nights acclimating to that altitude before proceeding higher. Proceed higher during the day, but return to a lower elevation to sleep (climb high, sleep low).

Appropriate exercise level: Until acclimated, exercise moderately, avoid intensity, and be alert to shortness of breath and fatigue.

Hydration: To offset increased fluid losses at high altitudes, stay well-hydrated.

Evacuation: Stop ascending until AMS symptoms resolve. If you suspect the onset of HACE or HAPE, evacuate rapidly to a lower altitude (descending at least 1,000 to 1,500 feet) and get evaluated by a physician as soon as possible.

RESOURCES 

Bray Barnes

Director, Global Security Innovative
Strategies

Bray Barnes is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, Silver
Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Learning for Life Distinguished
Service Award. He received the Messengers of Peace Hero award from
the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he’s a life member of
the 101st Airborne Association and Vietnam Veterans Association. Barnes
serves as a senior fellow for the Global Federation of Competitiveness
Councils, a nonpartisan network of corporate CEOs, university presidents, and
national laboratory directors. He has also served as a senior executive for the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leading the first-responder program
and has two U.S. presidential appointments

David Alexander

Managing Member Calje

David Alexander is a Baden-Powell Fellow, Summit Bechtel Reserve philanthropist, and recipient of the Silver Buffalo and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the founder of Caljet, one of the largest independent motor fuels terminals in the U.S. He has served the Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association, Teen Lifeline, and American Heart Association. A triathlete who has completed hundreds of races, Alexander has also mentored the women’s triathlon team at Arizona State University.

Glenn Adams

President, CEO & Managing Director
Stonetex Oil Corp.

Glenn Adams is a recipient of the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the former president of the National Eagle Scout Association and established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. He has more than 40 years of experience in the oil, gas, and energy fields, including serving as a president, owner, and CEO. Adams has also received multiple service awards from the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.