A survey of acute mountain sickness and vital signs in subjects ascending to Lhasa via the Qinghai-Tibet train

摘要

Since the opening of Qinghai-Tibet Railway in July 2006, much remains to be learned regarding the incidence of acute mountain sickness (AMS) while train travelers are moving along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and after their arrival in Lhasa. We surveyed 49 subjects traveling from Chongqing (300 m) to Lhasa (3,658 m) via the Qinghai-Tibet train. In the current study, we sought to determine: the incidence of AMS on the moving Qinghai-Tibet train upon arrival in Lhasa and during the first five days in Lhasa, the vital signs and physiological variables of the train travelers on the 7th and 30th days following their arrival in Lhasa. AMS was seen in 0% of subjects in this study in Xining, 0% in Golmud, 8.2% in Tanggula, 14.3% in Lhasa, 14.3% during the first two days in Lhasa and 0% during the third through 5th days in Lhasa. Headaches, dizziness, and poor appetite were the most common symptoms induced directly by hypoxia in this study. On the 7th day after arriving in Lhasa, the average forced vital capacity (FVC) was 3,175.3 ± 385.6 ml, which was remarkably lower than that on the 30th day (3,322.6 ± 435.1ml,P & 0.01).The results of the current study suggest that the incidence of AMS associated with travelers from Chongqing to Lhasa on the Qinghai-Tibet train is very low among subjects. Furthermore, physiological measurements taken during hypoxia acclimatization showed an increase in FVC following acclimatization.