Abstract
Acute high-altitude illness is an encompassing term for the range of pathology that the unacclimatised
individual can develop at increased altitude. This includes acute mountain sickness, high-altitude cerebral
oedema and high-altitude pulmonary oedema. These conditions represent an increasing clinical problem
as more individuals are exposed to the hypobaric hypoxic environment of high altitude for both work and
leisure. In this review of acute high-altitude illness, the epidemiology, risk factors and pathophysiology
are explored, before their prevention and treatment are discussed. Appropriate ascent rate remains
the most effective acute high-altitude illness prevention, with pharmacological prophylaxis indicated in
selected individuals. Descent is the definitive treatment for acute high-altitude illness, with the adjuncts
of oxygen and specific drug therapies.