Altitude mountain sickness among tourist populations: a review and pathophysiology supporting management with hyperbaric oxygen

In the mountain climbing community, conventional prevention of altitude mountain sickness (AMS) relies primarily on a formal acclimatization period. AMS symptoms during mountaineering climbs are managed with medication, oxygen and minor recompression (1524-2438 m altitude) using a portable chamber, such as the Gamow Bag. This is not always an acceptable therapy alternative in a predominantly elderly tourist population. The primary problem with reduced pressure at high altitude is hypoxaemia, which causes increased sympathetic activity, induces pulmonary venous constriction, while increasing pulmonary blood flow and regional perfusion. Rapid assents to altitude contribute to an increased incidence of decompression sickness (DCS). The treatment of choice for DCS is hyperbaric oxygenation, thus, treatment of high-altitude induced hypoxaemia using hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO(2)) is logical. Life Support Technologies group and the Center for Investigation of Altitude Medicine (CIMA, in Cusco, Peru) propose a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to AMS management. This approach encompasses traditional and advanced medical interventions including the use of a clinical HBO(2) chamber capable of recompression to three times greater than sea level pressure (3 atmosphere absolute (ATA)). The system uses a series of AMS hyperbaric treatment profiles that LST has previously developed to the US military and NASA, and that take greater advantage of vasoconstrictive effects of oxygen under true hyperbaric conditions of 1.25 ATA. These profiles virtually eliminate AMS rebound after the initial treatment often seen in conventional AMS treatment, where the patient is either treated at altitude, or does not recompress back to sea level or greater pressure (1.25 ATA), but returns directly to the same altitude where AMS symptoms first manifested.

Intrapulmonary administration of natural honey solution, hyperosmolar dextrose or hypoosmolar distill water to normal individuals and to patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus or hypertension: their effects on blood glucose level, plasma insulin and C-peptide, blood pressure and peaked expiratory flow rate

Safety and effect intrapulmonary administration (by inhalation) of 60 % honey solution, 10% dextrose or distill water on blood sugar, plasma insulin and C-peptide, blood pressure, heart rate, and peaked expiratory flow rate (PEFR) in normal or diabetic subjects were studied. - Twenty-four healthy subjects, 16 patients with type 11 diabetes mellitus and six patients with hypertension were entered for study. They were underwent complete physical examination and laboratory investigations. Twelve healthy subjects were subjected for distill water inhalation for 10 min, and after one week they received inhalation of honey solution (60% wt/v) for 10 min. Another 12 healthy subjects received inhalation of 10% dextrose for 10 min. Blood glucose level, plasma insulin and C-peptide, blood pressure, heart rate and PEFR were estimated before inhalation and during 2-3 hrs after inhalation, at 30 min intervals. Random blood glucose level was estimated in eight patients with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, and repeated 30 min after honey inhalation. One week later, fasting blood glucose level was estimated in each patient and blood glucose level was re-estimated during three hrs after honey inhalation, at 30 min intervals. Glucose tolerance test was performed in another eight patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus, and after one week the procedure was repeated with inhalation of honey, which was started immediately after ingestion of glucose. Six hypertensive patients received honey inhalation for 10 min; supine blood pressure and heart rate were measured before and after inhalation. - Results showed that in normal subjects distill water caused mild elevation of blood glucose level, mild lowering of plasma insulin, and significant reduction of plasma C-peptide. 10% dextrose inhalation caused mild reduction of plasma insulin and C-peptide and unremarkable changes in blood glucose level. No significant changes were obtained in blood pressure, heart rate or PEFR after distill water or 10% dextrose inhalation. Honey inhalation caused lowering of blood glucose level and elevation of plasma insulin and C-peptide, mild reduction of blood pressure and up to 11 and 16 percent increase in PEFR. Honey inhalation significantly reduced random blood glucose level from 199 +/- 40.9 mg/dl to 156 +/- 52.3 mg/dl after 30 min (p = 0.0303). Fasting blood glucose level was reduced after honey inhalation during three hr post-inhalation, which was significant at hr three (p<0.05). Intensity of hyperglycemia was significantly lowered in glucose tolerance test when patients received honey inhalation. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure was reduced by honey inhalation in hypertensive patients; significant changes were obtained at 60 and 120 min after inhalation. No adverse effects were observed with inhalation of distill water, 10% dextrose and 60% honey solution except for nasal watery discharge experienced by all subjects and mild cough that was experienced by seven subjects after honey inhalation. - The results demonstrated that honey inhalation was safe and effective in reducing blood glucose level, in normal and diabetic subjects, it could improve glucose tolerance test, elevate plasma insulin and C-peptide and PEFR, and reduce elevated blood pressure in hypertensive patients.

Isolation, purification and partial characterization of early pregnancy factor (EPF) from sera of pregnant women

Early pregnancy factor (EPF) is a pregnancy protein, which is secreted into the maternal serum 12-16 hours after fertilization. It is thought to be an immunosuppressive molecule. EPF is detected in pregnant woman's serum by the rosette inhibition assay (RIA). In this study, EPF was purified from the pregnant woman's sera by using ion exchange chromatography and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The proteins which showed a positive result with the RIA, were found to be 35 kDa and 17 kDa molecular weights. The biological activities of these proteins were stable upon heat treatment at 56 degrees C for 30 min. Proteins isolated and purified in this study might be of great significance to the field of human reproduction with particular reference to pregnancy and recurrent abortion.

The analgesic effect of intravenous tenoxicam in symptomatic treatment of biliary colic: a comparison with hyoscine N-butylbromide

This was conducted to evaluate the analgesic effect of intravenous tenoxicam (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) in the treatment of biliary colic pain and compared with spasmolytics. Thirtytwo patients (26 women, 6 men, mean age 47, range 38-55 years) with acute biliary colic were entered for study. They were allocated randomly to receive either tenoxicam 20 mg i.v. or hyoscine N-butylbromide 20 mg i.v. The patients recorded their pain severity on 5 point scale. The results showed that tenoxicam caused significant pain relief in 10 out of 16 patients at 30 min (mean pain score decreased from 2.75 +/- 0.93 to 0.49 +/- 0.51, p < 0.05) and in other 4 patients at 60 min (mean pain score decreased to 0.58 + 5.7, p < 0.05). None of these patients developed acute cholecystitis or pain relapse over a period of 24 h follow up. With use of hyoscine N-butylbromide, 7 out 16 patients had significant pain relief at 30 min (mean pain score decreased from 2.62 +/- 1.01 to 0.57 +/- 0.53, p < 0.05) and 3 other patients relieved at 60 min (mean pain score decreased to 0.66 +/- 0.57, p < 0.05). Four patients showed pain relapse within 24 h and needed pethidine-rescue treatment, two of them developed acute cholecystitis. Three out of 6 patients who showed no response to hyoscine N-butylbropmide and treated with 100 mg pethidine progressed to acute cholecystitis. We concluded that intravenous tenoxicam has rapid and prolong analgesic effects in the treatment of acute biliary colic as compared to hyoscine N-butylbroimde and it prevents the progression to acute cholecystitis.

A note on xenogeneic transfusion of macrophages in experimental septicaemia

Human peritoneal macrophages (M phi) were given intravenously to normal rabbits and rabbits with Escherichia coli septicaemia. No harmful effects were observed during a period of three months following macrophage transfusions and the septicaemia was eradicated in four of five animals. Thus xenogeneic M phi transfusion is feasible and can combat serious bacterial infections.