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CASE REPORT article
Front. Physiol.
Sec. Clinical and Translational Physiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1546307
This article is part of the Research Topic Physiological and Pathological Responses to Hypoxia and High Altitude, Volume III View all 6 articles
Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome and Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome Caused by Acute Mountain Sickness: A Case Report and Literature Review
Provisionally accepted- 1 Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
- 2 Department of Emergency, General Hospital of Tibetan Military Command Lhasa, Lhasa, China
- 3 Center of Endoscopy, General Hospital of Tibetan Military Command Lhasa, Lhasa, China
Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is a common condition following rapid exposure to high altitude, though severe complications such as acute gastrointestinal bleeding, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) are rare. Herein, we report a case of SIRS and MODS in a young traveler who visited Lhasa, Tibet (elevation 3650 meters). Three days after arrival, the patient developed headache, abdominal pain, significant hematemesis, and persistent hypotension. Gastroscopy revealed diffuse bleeding of the gastric mucosa. Laboratory tests indicated multi-organ dysfunction involving the lungs, liver, and kidneys. The patient responded well to conservative treatment of continuous oxygen supplementation. This case represents one of the first reported instances of acute gastric mucosal injury and MODS induced by AMS, underscoring the significant medical risks associated with high-altitude environments.
Keywords: acute mountain sickness, Acute gastrointestinal bleeding, Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, Oxygen therapy
Received: 31 Dec 2024; Accepted: 14 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Peng, Kou, Fang and Gao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Mengjia Peng, Department of Emergency, General Hospital of Tibetan Military Command Lhasa, Lhasa, China
Guoyong Kou, Center of Endoscopy, General Hospital of Tibetan Military Command Lhasa, Lhasa, China
Fei Fang, Department of Emergency, General Hospital of Tibetan Military Command Lhasa, Lhasa, China
Jinhang Gao, Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
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