Retrospecitve study on clinical treatment of 214 children with high altitude pulmonary edema
10.3760/cma.j.issn.1673-4912.2025.07.005
- VernacularTitle:214例儿童高原肺水肿临床救治回顾性研究
- Author:
Xueyue WANG
1
;
Yu ZHANG
;
Henghai NIE
;
Chao CHEN
;
Jing WANG
;
Yifan LE
;
Kaixiong LAN
;
Xianjin BI
;
Xiaoyang HONG
;
Yun HAO
;
Xiuping XU
;
Liuxin DU
Author Information
1. 中国人民解放军西藏军区总医院儿科，拉萨 850032
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
High altitude pulmonary edema;
Clinical features;
Hormone therapy;
Children
- From:
Chinese Pediatric Emergency Medicine
2025;32(7):504-508
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To analyse the clinical characteristics of 214 cases of paediatric high altitude pulmonary edema（HAPE）and the efficacy of dexamethasone in adjunctive therapy.Methods:This retrospective study analyzed 214 pediatric cases of HAPE admitted to the Department of Paediatrics of the General Hospital of Tibetan Military between June 2015 to June 2017 and June 2019 to June 2021.Patients were divided into dexamethasone-treated group and dexamethasone-untreated group.Baseline data，clinical characteristics were collected to evaluate the treatment efficacy and drug side effects.Results:There were 107 children in each of the two groups with a median age of 8（5，11）years. The median age of the dexamethasone-treated group was 9（6，12）years and the mean age of the dexamethasone-untreated group was 7（3，10）years. The proportion of male children was 69.60%（149/214）；the onset of illness was mostly concentrated within 72 hours，accounting for 97.20%（208/214）of the cases；83.18%（178/214）of the cases had symptoms of combined upper respiratory tract infection before entering the plateau. The most important clinical symptoms of the children were cough（86.92%，186/214），cyanosis（70.09%，150/214），and shortness of breath（66.36%，142/214）. The proportion of auscultatory rhonchi was 83.18%（178/214），and all cases showed positive findings on chest radiography. After the dexamethasone regimen，the overall cure rate of the children was 94.39%，the average disappearance time of the symptoms and signs was（40.52±7.85）h，and the average hospital stay was（3.60±1.90）d. After treatment with the dexamethasone-free regimen，the overall cure rate was 92.52%，the mean time to disappearance of symptoms and signs was（42.10±7.62）h，and the mean length of stay in the hospital was(3.84±2.08)d. There was no significant difference in the cure rate，the disappearance time of symptoms and signs，and the average hospitalisation days between the two groups（ P>0.05），but a total of 11 children in the dexamethasone-treated group experienced adverse drug reactions，and no children in the dexamethasone-untreated group experienced adverse drug reactions. Conclusion:Han Chinese male children，particularly those with upper respiratory infections，should be closely monitored for HAPE risk within three days of ascending to high altitudes. This study does not recommend the use of dexamethasone for pediatric HAPE due to the lack of therapeutic benefits and potential adverse effects.
