• David R Shlim.
• Jackson Hole Travel and Tropical Medicine, Jackson Hole, WY, USA.
• J Travel Med. 2020 Sep 26; 27 (6).

BackgroundModern travel means that many travellers can arrive abruptly to high-altitude destinations without doing any trekking or climbing. Airports in high-altitude cities mean that travellers can go from sea level to over 3350-3960 m (11 000-13 000 feet) in a matter of hours, putting themselves at risk for high-altitude illness (HAI).MethodsAcetazolamide has been shown to be an effective way to help prevent HAI on such itineraries. The risk of HAI on rapid arrival to altitudes over 3350 m (11 000 feet) has been shown to range from 35% to nearly 50%. The risk can be higher for high-altitude trekking. This risk is far higher than most travel medicine risks and is on a par with the risk of travellers' diarrhea in high risk destinations.ResultThe use of prophylactic acetazolamide in a dosage of 125 mg every 12 h is highly effective at diminishing the risk of HAI.ConclusionTravel medicine practitioners should become comfortable with assessing the risk of HAI and determining when it is appropriate to offer acetazolamide prophylaxis to prevent HAI.© International Society of Travel Medicine 2020. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

11 keywords...

hide…