PHYSIOLOGICAL STATUS MONITORING DURING AN ALASKAN MOUNTAINEERING EXPEDITION

Abstract

1601 There has been recent interest in using physiological status monitoring technology to manage activity levels of soldiers during field exercises in harsh climatic conditions. In May of 1997, an international military mountaineering team climbed from a base camp on Sheep Glacier (elevation 6,500 ft.) to the summit of Mt. Sanford, Alaska (elevation 16,237 ft.). The expedition consisted of twelve climbers and two base camp personnel. During the expedition, the climbers a) recorded body temperatures continuously using temperature pills and telemetry technology, b) monitored arterial oxygen saturations with a portable pulse oximeter, c) used a global positioning system and a thermometer to generate an environmental ascent profile, and d) took a daily Environmental Symptoms Questionnaire (ESQ) to assess for environmental illness. Temperature telemetry data were obtained from five of the climbers and generally showed decreases in core temperature to expected levels during the night with daytime increases comparable to what has been seen in other soldiers during field exercises at sea level. One climber developed Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) complicated by High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) at 9,300 ft. and was brought back to base camp. Review of his data showed that he had developed an inappropriately low oxygen saturation at altitude accompanied by elevated ESQ scores for acute mountain sickness. We conclude that a) although further refinements are needed, physiological status monitoring is possible in remote, harsh environments, and b) some of the technology (such as pulse oximetry) has potential to assist the field diagnosis and management of environmentally-related illnesses.