Important points in analysing deaths on Mount Everest

doi:10.1136/bmj.b41

Published 9 January 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b41
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b41

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Mortality on Mount Everest

Important points in analysing deaths on Mount Everest

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Firth and colleagues’ analysis of all the deaths on MountEverest during 1921-2006 did not address some important points.¹

Did more climbers die on their first attempt than on subsequentattempts? What drugs were they taking? Some climbers might betaking dexamethasone.² The summit bid starts at midnight, whichmay be a confounding factor for death while climbing. Similarly,crowded climbing and delaying the summit bid should also beconsidered.

How was ataxia assessed? Climbers are using crampons, are roped,and have oxygen cylinders and masks in addition to gloves andclothing. Ataxia cannot be diagnosed unless Romberg’stest or the sharpened Romberg test is done.

Most importantly, the authors did not consider high altitudedeterioration³ as an important factor in causing death at suchextreme altitudes with the longer time of exposure. Instead,they speculate that headache, nausea, and vomiting are not heraldsof high altitude cerebral oedema at . . . [Full text of this article]

Matiram Pun, junior doctor¹

¹ Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal

matiram@gmail.com

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