Altitude Physics Atmosphere

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AltitudePhysicsAtmosphere
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Altitude

• High altitude 1500 3500 m
• Very high altitude 3500 5500 m
• Extreme altitude above 5500 m

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Acclimatization
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Normal acclimatization

• Heart rate ?
• Breath rate ?
• Exhausted/breathless on exercise
• Hungry
• Urine output ?
• Sleep
• Headache

• All symptoms should disappear or get better after
  rest, food and water

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Acute mountain sickness

• Mild
• Moderate
• Severe

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Symptoms of mild AMS

• Headache
• Malaise
• Anorexia

• Nausea/vomiting
• Dizziness
• Dyspnea on exertion
• Dry cough
• Inner chill
• Low urine output

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Any symptom of AMS should be considered due to
altitude unless proven otherwise.
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What else could it be?

• Viral illness (muscle pain, myalgia)
• Hangover
• Exhaustion
• Dehydration
• Hypothermia
• Sedative or hypnotic medication
• Carbon monoxide

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If in doubt,go down.
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Non medical treatment

• Descent
• Hyperbaric chamber

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Physiology at altitude
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Oxygen21 of ambient air at all altitudes

• Sea level
• Barom. Pressure1013 mbar
• Part. press. of O2212 mbar
• Number of O2-molecules per liter X

• 5000 m
• Barom. pressure 500 mbar
• Part. press. of O2100 mbar
• No. of O2-molecules per liter ½X

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Respiration normal values

• RR (respiratory rate)
• 10 12/min.
• TV (tidal volume), volume/breath
• 500 700 ml
• MV (minute volume)
• 6000 ml/min 60 000ml/min

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Respiration

• Basic calculations
• RR x TV MV
• 10 x 600 6000 ml Air
• 21 O2 1200 ml O2 (X molecules)
• 5000 m same minute volume but 50 oxygen
  molecules

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How do we compensate for this when going to high
altitude?

• Ventilation - lungs
• Circulation - heart, blood, vessels
• Tissues - O2-transport
• Kidneys
• Brain

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Oxygen uptake and transport

• O2 uptake max 4.6 l/min. at low altitude 2.3
  l/min at 6300 m
• Oxygen
• Diffusion from air to blood (lungs)
• Bound to haemoglobin
• Physically dissolved in plasma

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Factors affecting acclimatization

• Age
• Gender
• Smoker/nonsmoker
• Fitness (marathon runner ?)
• Alcohol
• Pregnancy

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Performance at altitude
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General fitness

• It helps to be fit
• After acclimatization the fit at low altitude
  will be fit at high altitude, but he will be less
  fit than at low altitude.

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Muscle power

• Decreases with time at altitude
• General physical work load decreases

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Motor function

• SpO2 ?85 decreases capacity for mental
  concentration and abolishes fine motor
  coordination
• SpO2 ?75 leads to faulty judgement, emotional
  lability and impaired muscle function