Altitude Sickness Paper

The patient in “The Red Hat Hikers” scenario is suffering from hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is defined as a serum sodium level of less than 136mEq/L. Sodium is an electrolyte that is found predominately in the extracellular fluid, and it is the chief regulator of water in the body. Sodium is also important for muscle contraction, nerve impulses, acid-base balance and chemical reactions that occur inside the cell (McCance & Huether, 2014). Normal sodium levels in the body are maintained by the kidneys and the hormone aldosterone. Aldosterone is secreted by the adrenal cortex at the completion of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and it helps stimulate the proximal tubules of the kidneys to reabsorb sodium and water. The anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) also indirectly affects sodium levels because it regulates water balance in the body (McCance & Huether, 2014).

Hypoxia is one of the major problems associated with this increase in altitude. This is due to the fact that the partial pressure of oxygen decreases proportionately with increases in altitude. Carbon dioxide that is continually excreted from the pulmonary blood to the alveoli along with water vaporizing in the inspired air from the respiratory surfaces dilute the oxygen in the alveoli which cause the oxygen concentration to decrease.

Because the PCO2 levels are too high the body is not getting the adequate amount of oxygen. This means the oxygen-carrying hemoglobin is not working properly do to the excessive amounts carbon dioxide causing respiratory acidosis.

Both rapid, shallow breathing patterns and hypoventilation effect gas exchange. Arterial blood gases will be monitored and changes discussed with provider. Alteration in PaCO2 and PaO2 levels are signs of respiratory failure. Patient’s body position will be properly aligned for optimum respiratory excursion, this promotes lung expansion and improved air exchange. Patient will be suctioned as needed to clear secretions and maintain patent airways. The expected outcome is that the patient’s airway and gas exchange will be maintained as evidence by normal arterial blood gases (Herdman,

When your blood pH being alkaline, you experience respiratory alkalosis. The co2 levels drop in your blood which causes complications.

Respiratory acidosis is a condition that occurs when the lungs cannot remove all the carbon dioxide the body produces. This causes body fluids, especially the blood, to become too acidic. Chronic respiratory acidosis occurs over a long period of time, this leads to a stable situation, because the kidneys increase body chemicals, such as bicarbonate, that help restore the body’s acid-base balance. Acute respiratory acidosis is a condition in which carbon dioxide builds up quickly, before the kidneys can return the body to a state of balance. Some of the symptoms may include: confusion, fatigue, lethargy, shortness of breath, and sleepiness. Some causes of

The altitude that this stage could happen in is between 5000 to 11400 ft.(3) "The body generally has the ability to stave off further effects of hypoxia by increasing the rate and depth of ventilation and cardiac output ".(1) The respiration rate, blood pressure, and the heart rate can rise up in this stage.(2) the arterial oxygen saturations in this stage is between 80 and 90 percent.(1)

The data have supported the hypothesis because it showed the results in the data. When the PCO2 is 40, the blood pH is 7.38 which it is normal that lead to have normal H+ in urine and HCO3- in urine. The PCO2 get lower to 30, the blood pH is 7.58 which it is high that lead to decreased in H+ in urine and elevated in HCO3- in urine. The PCO2 get higher to 60, the blood pH is 7.28 which it is low that lead to elevated in H+ in urine and decreased in HCO3- in urine. Respiratory alkalosis is when the PCO2 is lowered that cause a person to have hyperventilation that it is over breathing. It can happen if someone have panic attack, anxiety, or stress. The treatments are breathing exercise, practice relaxation, and exercise regularly to raise the carbon dioxide levels. Respiratory acidosis is when the PCO2 is raised that cause a person to have hypoventilation that is slow breathing. It can happen if someone have daytime drowsiness, fatigue, morning headaces,and bluish color on the skin. The treatments are losing weight, supplemental oxygen, and continuous positive airway pressure to decrease the carbon dioxide

Conveying a human to a different atmosphere inflicts barotrauma which is the inability to equalise pressure within the body cavities. Boyle’s law explains as pressure increases on our bodies the volume of our body cavities decrease and as pressure decreases the volume is increased. A changing pressure between a gas space in our bodies causes physical damage to tissue. Astronauts experience this from the change in pressure between their space suits and the shuttle. However, divers are subjected to greater changes in pressure the deeper beneath sea level resulting in more harmful

In most tissues of the body, ATP production primarily occurs through mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation of reduced intermediates, which are in turn derived from substrates such as glucose and fatty acids. In order to maintain ATP homeostasis, and cellular function, the mitochondria requires a constant supply of fuels and oxygen. In many individuals at altitude, tissue oxygen levels fall and the cell must meet this hypoxic challenge to maintain energetic and limit oxidative stress. Varying on protocols, the body can adapt to the lack of oxygen which can be increasing the mass of red blood cells and haemoglobin or changes in muscle metabolism. Depending very much on the protocols used, the body may adapt to the relative lack of oxygen in one

lactate paradox may only be a transient feature of hypoxic adaptation at altitude, disappearing in

The hypotension is a condition in which the blood pressure is much lower than the values considered being normal. Blood pressure varies from person to person. In general it is considered hypotension a condition in which the maximum pressure (or systolic) is equal to or lower than 90 mmHg and the minimum (or diastolic) is equal to or less than 60 mmHg. The hypotension causes are multiple and different significance: therefore vary from a trivial dehydration to more serious disorders. Low pressure is a disorder that can affect any person regardless of age.

The cause of acidosis in the body is when the kidneys and lungs do not maintain the balance (proper pH level) of chemicals called acids and bases. It can either occur when bicarbonate (a base) is lost or when acid builds up. Acidosis can be defined as either respiratory or metabolic. Too much carbon dioxide (an acid) in the body leads to respiratory acidosis. When the body gets into a situation where it is unable to remove enough carbon dioxide through breathing, it causes respiratory acidosis. This kind of acidosis is also called hyper-capnic acidosis and carbon dioxide acidosis and could be caused by: chest deformities, such as kyphosis, Chest injuries, chest muscle weakness, chronic lung disease and overuse of sedative drugs. The symptoms that can be caused by respiratory acidosis are confusion, fatigue, lethargy, shortness of breath, and sleepiness. Metabolic acidosis develops when too much acid is produced in the body. It can also occur when the kidneys cannot remove enough acid from the body. There are several types of metabolic acidosis: Hyperchloremic, Lactic and diabetic. Things that could cause acidosis are: Dehydration, Aspirin poisoning and kidney disease. Diabetic acidosis (also called diabetic ketoacidosis and DKA) develops when substances called ketone bodies (which are acidic) build up during uncontrolled diabetes. The symptoms of metabolic acidosis symptoms depend on the underlying disease or condition. The metabolic acidosis itself usually causes rapid

Respiratory Acidosis occurs when the lungs cannot remove all the carbon dioxide that the body makes. In turn this makes fluid in the body become too acidic. The distinctive feature of respiratory acidosis is an abnormally high PCO2, meaning above 45 mmHg. Improper exhalation of oxygen can cause the blood pH to drop.” Any condition that decreases the movement of CO2 from the blood to the alveoli of the lungs to the atmosphere causes a buildup of CO2, H2CO3, and H+ (Tortora, 2014, p.1036)”. Symptoms of this condition may include: confusion, lethargy, fatigue, sleepiness, and shortness of breath. Probable causes are: obesity, disease of the chest, diseases of the lungs and airways, and drugs that suppress breathing (MedlinePLus, 2012). A health care provider will perform a physical exam to see if this is what is happening. He may do so by: arterial blood gas which measures oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood, basic metabolic panel, a chest x-ray, or possibly a pulmonary function test (MedlinePLus, 2012). Treatment is mainly aimed at the underlying cause not at condition itself. It is treated

The paper presents a review, analysis and a study on hypoxia faced by pilots at higher altitudes. The problems faced by pilots of commercial flights and the ways and means of dealing with them with the use of technology used in military planes will be the point of discussion and focus. The usage of technology that minimize the conditions of hypoxia at higher altitudes and reduction of its