High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema Management in a Special Operator - PubMed
4 hours ago
- #HAPE
- #remote healthcare
- #military medicine
- Case report on a 30-year-old Army Special Forces officer with high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) during training in Nepal.
- Patient ascended 3,000m over 3 days, developed HAPE symptoms at 13,550 feet (4,130m), including breathlessness and productive cough.
- Prophylactic treatment with acetazolamide was given, but nifedipine or tadalafil were not used.
- Challenges included managing HAPE in a remote, resource-limited environment with a small rescue window.
- Discussion on treatment alternatives, including the unused portable hyperbaric chamber.
- Emphasis on standardized HAPE prophylaxis to prevent mission disruption and loss of operational capabilities.