Difficult decisions at altitude: the management of an acutely dyspneic porter at 5000 meters.
We report a case of a porter who presented with acute dyspnea during an expedition in Nepal at 5000 m above sea level. We present the difficulties involved in making the correct diagnosis in this patient under austere conditions and discuss the difficult decisions that must be made in caring for such a patient.
Bellis
Fionn
F
Emergency Department, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth PL6 8DH, UK. fionbellis@hotmail.com
Parris
Richard
R
Thake
Douglas
D
Richards
Paul
P
D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D000532:Altitude Sickness / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003657:Decision Making; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009051:Mountaineering; D009390:Nepal; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis*
D010100:Oxygen