High Altitude Medicine and Physiology » (New Edition)

More than half a century has passed since man first stood on the summit of Mount Everest, and the story of man's attempts to climb higher and higher unaided is one of the more colorful and exciting in medicine and physiology. The past few decades have seen an explosion in interest in mountain pursuits in general, as increasing numbers of people take to the mountains for day trips and on longer excursions. As a result, doctors face ever-expanding challenges in dealing with the changes in human physiology and particular medical conditions that arise from exposure to altitude.
Building on the success and reputation of previous editions, the fourth edition of High Altitude Medicine and Physiology includes major changes in the scientific content, with updates in many areas. The area of genetics has assumed great importance, along with other advances in molecular biology and medicine, and these are incorporated throughout the text. There are also new or improved sections on women and children at high altitude, the role of vascular endothelial growth factor, neurological disorders at high altitude, athletic training using high altitude, high altitude pulmonary edema, and the problems of patients with pre-existing diseases. Other new features include summary boxes highlighting important concepts, and increased tabulation of key data for rapid reference. While the authors have added much new material, they have also prudently trimmed down the existing material so that the text is still easily manageable and accessible in this fourth edition.
High Altitude Medicine and Physiology remains invaluable reading for any doctor accompanying an expedition to—or advising patients on a visit to—a high altitude area, and for those physicians and physiologists who study our dependence on oxygen.

Preface     vii
Acknowledgments     ix
Conversion tables     x
List of abbreviations     xi
History     1
The atmosphere     15
Geography and the human response to altitude     27
Altitude acclimatization and deterioration     39
Ventilatory response to hypoxia and carbon dioxide     51
Pulmonary gas exchange     67
Cardiovascular system     85
Hematology     103
Blood-gas transport and acid-base balance     117
Peripheral tissues     131
Exercise     145
Limiting factors at extreme altitude     161
Sleep     177
Nutrition, metabolism and intestinal function     189
Endocrine and renal systems at altitude     203
Central nervous system     221
High altitude populations     235
Acute mountain sickness     251
High altitude cerebral edema     271
High altitude pulmonary edema     279
Chronic mountain sickness and high altitude pulmonary hypertension     299
Other altitude-related conditions: neurovascular disorders, eye conditions, altitude cough, anesthesia at altitude     311
The physiology and pathology of heat and cold     325
Pre-existing medical conditions at altitude     337
Women at altitude     349
Extremes of age at altitude: Children and the elderly     353
Commuting to high altitude for commercial and other activities     359
Athletes and altitude     371
Clinical lessons from high altitude     379
Practicalities of field studies     389
References     399
Index     471