CASES OF ACUTE MOUNTAIN-SICKNESS ON MOUNT AGRI

Between 1983 and 1990 a total of 74 freestyle mountaineers and 88 moun taineers with skis attempted to climb Mount Agri (Ararat). From the fr eestyle group two mountaineers were affected by acclimatisation disord er at 3200 m and seven at 4200 m above sea level. Acute mountain sickn ess (AMS) affected four mountaineers at 4200 m, eight at 4700 m, two a t 5000 m and two at 5165 m, while 49 reached the summit. Only one of t he mountaineers with skis was affected by AMS (at 4200 m), while all t he others reached the summit. The symptoms of acclimatisation disorder and AMS, according to their degree of frequency, were headache, weakn ess, dyspnoea and palpitation, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, giddiness, ataxia and insomnia. Pulse rates varied between 115 and 124/min, and b reathing between 30 and 38/min.