Question

1. Mark is a healthy adult male from Miami who has been living at high altitude for five weeks. What physiological changes have likely occurred due to being at high altitude for that amount of time? Select all that apply.

Select one or more:

a. Decreased max heart rate

b. Decreased cardiac output

c. Decreased ability to drink water

d. Increased red blood cell production

e. Increased blood volume

f. Increased cardiac output at rest

g. A reduction in muscle mass

Answer 1

d. Increased Red blood cell production

f. Increased cardiac output at rest

Acclimatisation

At high altitude barometric pressure decreases and there is decrease in po2 partial pressure of 02 while PCo2 and PH remain constant .In acclimatised child individual Oxygen delivery to tissues is maintained by Haemoconcentration.

1. Increase 2,3 DPG biphosphoglyceric acid reduces the affinity of haemoglobin for Oxygen and increase in release of O2 at tissue levels help a lot.

2.Increase in erythropoetin secretion --- Polycythaemia vera ( increases RBC volume or Haematocrit ), red cheeks present, But plasma volume decreases.

3. there is increase in heart rate, hence cardiac output also increases

4 Increase in Numbers of mitochondria and tissue content of cytochrome oxidase

5. Increase myoglobin

6. Increased pulmonary ventillation

7. Barrel shape chest

8. Alkaline urine is formed .

9. At high altitude insensible waterloss is increased which cuases dehydration and increased abiltiy for water intake