CO2 Supplement for Treatment of Acute Mountain Sickness

It was reported that up to 76% people who rapidly ascend to the altitude higher than 4500 m without sufficient acclimatization will have AMS which often develops 6-8 hours after reaching at high altitude. AMS could be improved if there is no continuous ascent although central sleep apnea may persist much longer. It has also been well documented that exercise capacity was impaired at high altitude. Oxygen inhalation is the most effective treatment method, but it is impractical for outdoor activities because of the large volume required. There are some drugs such as acetazolamide, and ibuprofen for relieving AMS but side effects and inconsistent treatment effect made them to be difficulty for routine use. It is noted that adding CO2 might be useful for improvement of hypoxia and exercise ability and eliminating CSA. There is no available device which can accurately supply constant CO2 and is functionally free of dead space. We innovated a portable device with a special mask for supplement of CO2 for prophylaxis and treatment of AMS.