A clinical tool for evaluating patients with possible acute mountain sickness (AMS) was developed by the experts meeting at the International Hypoxia Symposium.
All responses are obtained by interview.
Questions from Self Assessment Instrument
Parameter |
Finding |
Points |
headache |
none at all |
0 |
|
a mild headache |
1 |
|
moderate headache |
2 |
|
severe headache, incapacitating |
3 |
gastrointestinal symptoms |
good appetite |
0 |
|
poor appetite or nausea |
1 |
|
moderate nausea or vomiting |
2 |
|
severe, incapacitating nausea and vomiting |
3 |
fatigue and/or weakness |
not tired or weak |
0 |
|
mild fatigue/weakness |
1 |
|
moderate fatigue/weakness |
2 |
|
severe, incapacitating nausea and vomiting |
3 |
dizziness/lightheadedness |
none |
0 |
|
mild |
1 |
|
moderate |
2 |
|
severe, incapacitating |
3 |
difficulty sleeping |
slept as well as usual |
0 |
|
did not sleep as well as usual |
1 |
|
woke many times, poor night's sleep |
2 |
|
could not sleep at all |
3 |
Physical Examination
Parameter |
Finding |
Points |
change in mental status |
none |
0 |
|
lethargy, lassitude |
1 |
|
disoriented, confused |
2 |
|
stupor, semiconscious |
3 |
|
coma |
4 |
ataxia in heel to toe walking |
none |
0 |
|
balancing maneuvers |
1 |
|
steps off line |
2 |
|
falls down |
3 |
|
can't stand |
4 |
peripheral edema |
none |
0 |
|
1 location |
1 |
|
2 or more locations |
2 |
A functional assessment is assigned by the examiner, not by self-assessment.
Functional Assessment |
Grade |
no symptoms |
0 |
symptoms present, but no change in activity |
1 |
must reduce activities |
2 |
reduced to bed rest |
3 |
life-threatening |
4 |
Specialty: Emergency Medicine, Critical Care, Pulmonology, Neurology
ICD-10: ,