[Clinical classification of altitude sickness: analysis of 13,403 cases]

Abstract

The clinical classification and characteristics of various types of plateau sickness were reported after analysing 13,403 such cases in Tibet region. The conception of plateau sickness and the opinion of its classification in China and abroad were discussed and the names suggested for various types of the disease were also given. However, the rationality of different classifications of the sickness was questioned according to the present understanding of its pathology and clinical manifestations. It is the opinion of the authors to divide this sickness, first of all, into two categories of acute and chronic and then to subdivide each of them into several types according to clinical symptoms and the pathological changes of principally encroached organs. The acute category was subdivided into 4 types as follows: 1. high altitude acute response (HAAR); 2. high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE); 3. high altitude cerebral edema (HACE); 4. high altitude children cardiopathy (HACC). The chronic category was subdivided into 5 types as follows: 1. high altitude chronic response (HACR); 2. high altitude erythoblastosis (HAEb); 3. high altitude adult cardiopathy (HAAC); 4. high altitude hypertension (HAHyper); 5. high altitude hypotension (HAHypo). This classification is useful in clinical practice and research.