The Lung At High Altitude: Between Physiology And Pathology

The lungs play a pivotal role in adaptation to high altitude. The increase in ventilation and the rise in pulmonary artery pressure are the first features of lung response to hypoxic exposure. At high altitude the lungs can also be affected by high-altitude pulmonary oedema, a severe form of acute mountain sickness. In healthy subjects the ascent to high altitude is also associated with alterations in lung function, which have been in part interpreted as an effect of extra vascular lung fluid accumulation. The patterns of respiratory function changes at high altitude are discussed, taking into account the body fluid movement and the increase in endothelial permeability induced by hypoxic exposure. As the problem of “respiratory” patients at high altitude is very important, a short summary of the guidelines for altitude exposure of asthmatic and COPD patients is reported at the end of the chapter.

Keywords: pulmonary artery pressure; high altitude; physiology.