Basecamp Clinic Already seeing signs of HACE

HACE or High Altitude sickness is already starting to take a toll on Everest climbers this year.  BasecampMD is reporting that two low land Nepali were taken in to the clinic yesterday with signs of severe HACE…they were given steroids and Oxygen and were able to get stabilized enough to be able to take to the trek to a lower altitude.

HACE has always been a problem on Everest with some people not taking the extra time to get acclimatized and some, even when they do–still catch HACE.  HACE in and of itself is not deadly if you have a means to get to lower ground fast.  But on Everest…That lower ground could be hours away all the while you are by yourself.  It has claimed quite a few climbers and Sherpa lives over the years and has sparked a lot of interest from the medical fields.

This season there is going to be a huge scientific study based on this such issue to try to find out how people’s bodies actually handle higher elevations, and what steps could be taken to help save more lives.

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