NEET PG Medical – 2020 – Question – 63
At a high altitude of 3000 m, a person complains of breathlessness. All of the following can be used for the management of this person except?
a) Intravenous digoxin
b) Oxygen supplementation
c) Immediate descent
d) Acetazolamide
Correct Answer – A
Ans: A. Intravenous Digoxin
Management of AMS follows three axioms: a) further ascent should be avoided until the symptoms have resolved, b) patients with no response to medical treatment should descend to a lower altitude and c) if and when HACO is suspected, patients should urgently descend to a lower altitude.
Descent and supplementary oxygen are the treatments of choice and for severe illness, the combination provides optimal therapy.
Remarkably, a descent of only 500 to 1000 m usually leads to resolution of acute mountain sickness while high-altitude cerebral edema(HACO) may require further descent. Simulated descent with portable hyperbaric chambers, now commonly available in remote locations, are also effective.
Medical therapy becomes crucial when the descent is not immediately possible.
Ref: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4923381/#!po=
