RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To describe the incidence and clinical characteristics of acute severe high-altitude diseases in indigenous Tibetans. METHODS: The medical records of indigenous Tibetan patients with high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), who were treated in this hospital from June of 1956 to June of 2005, were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 3 184 cases of high-altitude disease were recorded in this period. Twenty four patients (0.75%, 24/3 184), 21 with HAPE and 3 with HACE, were indigenous Tibetans. Risk factors or precipitating factors were found in all the 24 cases, including getting into even higher altitude, exertion, cold, and alcohol drinking. From clinical symptoms, physical signs and laboratory examinations, it was found that 9 cases were complicated with multi-organ dysfunction. CONCLUSION: Indigenous Tibetans who travel between the plateau and the plain or to even higher altitude can suffer from hypoxic injury, even acute severe high-altitude disease, which may be complicated by multi-organ dysfunction.
Assuntos
Doença da Altitude/diagnóstico , Doença da Altitude/etnologia , Doença Aguda , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Altitude , Doença da Altitude/epidemiologia , Povo Asiático , Edema Encefálico/epidemiologia , Criança , Pré-Escolar , China/epidemiologia , Feminino , Humanos , Incidência , Lactente , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Edema Pulmonar/epidemiologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
AIM: To evaluate the hemodynamic effects of aminophylline and nifedipine in patients with HAPE. METHODS: 10 patients with HAPE undergone Swan-Ganz catheter. The parameters of hemodynamics and arterial blood gases in HAPE were measured before and after administration of nifedipine 20 mg sublingually and aminophylline 0.25 g intravenously respectively. RESULTS: After administering 0.25 g aminophylline the mPAP and PVR significantly decreased, the cardiac output and the level of PaO2, SaO2 increased obviously, the mSAP, HR did not change so much. After using 20 mg nifedipine, the mPAP, PVR and mSAP also decreased, while the cardiac output, HR and the level of PaO2, SaO2 did not show any changes. CONCLUSION: Both of aminophylline and nifedipine can attenuate pulmonary hypertension in patients with HAPE, but the effect of aminophylline was better than the effect of nifedipine.
