ipl-logo

Everest Base Camp Medical Clinic Research Paper

802 Words4 Pages

At the base of a huge mountain, an altitude of 17,590 feet is probably not the first place one would expect to find an emergency room. Unless however, that mountain is Mount Everest and that emergency room is the Everest Base Camp Medical Clinic. This clinic is interesting in that the altitude is half the amount of the oxygen at sea level, and all the physicians specialize in mountaineering. They will treat about five hundred people between early April and late May, which is peak climbing season. Most of the climbers will be here for treatment at some point in the perilous journey, while more than two hundred and fifty people have died on the mountain. The summit sits at 29,029 feet and is almost impossible without oxygen tanks. The effects …show more content…

As climbers get higher in altitude digestion begins to slow until the intestines become hypoxic and can no longer send nutrients to the muscles that desperately need them. For this reason the climbers must eat only small portions when ascending to the next campsite. As they ascend even higher their bodies have trouble digesting protein and they begin to crave more sugar. As for water, it is impractical to carry with them so they melt snow off the mountain for drinking. This is becoming more problematic as more people are coming to climb Everest than ever. The trash, human feces, and bodies on the mountain make for unsanitary conditions of drinking water. The bacteria in the water can cause diarrhea, which could be potentially fatal with the other extreme conditions. When climbers get near the summit there are even greater risks and these very serious conditions can be fatal if they are not treated quickly. High-altitude pulmonary edema and high-altitude cerebral edema can occur when the body creates pressure and fluid on the lungs or the brain. Symptoms can range from dizziness to hemoptysis and the best cure is to descend to a lower altitude. However, hypoxia of the brain makes this difficult as it leads people to make poor impulsive decisions. Since it would be nearly impossible to descend on their own, the patients need to be carried down to the base

Show More
Related

  • Climbers In Into Thin Air

    1249 Words  | 5 Pages

    For as long as anyone can remember, people have dreamed of reaching the summit of Mt. Everest. During May of 1996, an expedition set out to Nepal to attempt a climb up Mt. Everest. By the end of this expedition to the top of Everest, many climbers lost their lives due to the brutal weather. In Jon Krakauer’s novel Into Thin Air, he takes readers through the story of the expedition, and he talks about the climbers who died. Among the list of the dead was a man named Doug Hansen.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Breaking Trail A Climbing Life By Arlene Blum

    924 Words  | 4 Pages

    “When climbing at high altitudes there is a chance of high altitude sickness, which can lead to dizziness, headaches, and numerous more problems (Blum 65).” Every time Arlene went mountaineering she was putting herself in these hazardous scenarios, but this is her passion. She has seen many of her companions experience this, but thankfully rarely experienced the affects. In addition Arlene Blum quotes in clear detail of the trials regarding heath issues in a part of the book Breaking Trail. “I felt so wretched that I didn’t care that I wasn’t climbing, something was very wrong (Blum 129).”

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Into Thin Air By Jon Krakauer

    1197 Words  | 5 Pages

    The climbers are no different. They depended their lives on certain equipment. Such equipment included oxygen tanks, which helps get oxygen throughout the body when there is very little oxygen in the atmosphere due to the altitude the climbers were at. These tanks proved to be an important factor in the book while the climbers climbed because as the climbers climbed higher they began to become light headed, which affects the decision making ability of a climber. When a climber’s ability to make good and rational decisions decreases so does the chance of survival decrease, especially when every step could be your last.

    Read More

  • Into Thin Air Essay

    607 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many things could go wrong climbing the highest mountain in the world with an elevation of 29,029 ft. 12 people died climbing Mount Everest. No is responsible for those death. The climbers had chosen to climb the mountain. In the novel it states, “Hall was charging $65,000 a head to guide clients to the top of the world” (Krakauer 35). This shows that a person is willing to pay to go through so much pain, risk and sickness to summit the top of the world.

    Read More

  • Personal Experiences And Obstacles In Into Thin Air By Jon Krakauer

    598 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many challenges and obstacles that we face, both mentally and physically in life. After reading, “Into Thin Air,” written by Jon Krakauer, he shares his, along with others experiences of climbing Mount Everest. During this journey, climbers had to mentally and physically prepare themselves for any obstacles that headed their way. Krakauer, in particular, had prior climbing experience, but wasn’t as experience in higher altitudes such as Everest. Unfortunately, some climbers didn’t make it out alive.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay

    788 Words  | 4 Pages

    The first attempt and success to climb Mt. Everest occured in 1953. Since then, almost 4,000 people have been able to scale the mountain, but over 230 people have not been able to climb it successfully. There is a chance of accident or death when climbing this mountain or any dangerous activity. All people should should have the right to rescue services even if they knowingly put themselves at risk because there is always a chance of an accident happening, rangers are there to save people in danger, and there are rescue vehicles being produced to be used in case of an emergency.

    Read More

  • The Loss Of Characters In Into Thin Air By Jon Krakauer

    522 Words  | 3 Pages

    Paljor was possibly dying in the cold, but the team left him behind to die, just so they might be able to reach the summit of Mount Everest. After weeks of climbing in terrible conditions, their bodies weren’t in the best shape. Some people were “unable to cope with the complexities”(Krakauer 239), of climbing Everest. People felt unable to do anything for themselves, let alone other people. Because of their exhaustion, and their selfishness, the clients were responsible for letting others die.

    Read More

  • Into Thin Air By Jon Krakauer

    826 Words  | 4 Pages

    When Krakauer reached the summit, he noticed the clouds changing; a storm was coming, and he needed to descend as fast as he could (pg. 242). As many calamities there were while ascending Everest, descending proved to be the primary

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Inca Vs Aztec

    229 Words  | 1 Pages

    Although the this high altitude for these people would affect their lifestyle it still act of protection as it makes

    Read More

  • Character Analysis: Into Thin Air

    672 Words  | 3 Pages

    The altitude was making everything difficult, even when sleeping your body is not fully able to rest. As a result, Krakauer was constantly exhausted and unable to make good decisions. Jon Krakauer gave many examples of how Mount Everest negatively affected his physical condition which shows how debilitating climbing this mountain

    Read More

  • Comparing The Devil's Thumb, By Jon Krakauer

    1031 Words  | 5 Pages

    Mountain climbing is a very tough activity that includes years of training before someone is ready to complete an exhilarating climb. Looking around the world, there are many amazing places to climb. Although two of the most difficult and intense climbs include the Devil’s Thumb in Alaska and Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on earth. “Everest,” by Erik Weihenmayer and “The Devils Thumb,” by Jon Krakauer have some similarities and some differences in terms of the author’s perspective, organization structure, and tone and word choice. As the two authors wrote, they showed their struggles and feats of every situation through words.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Into Thin Air

    1148 Words  | 5 Pages

    Just as fish cannot survive out of water, humans cannot survive out of oxygen. In parallel, just as fish do not belong on land, humans do not belong on Everest. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer is a firsthand account of the climbers’ fatal attempt to make their way to the top of No Man’s Land, 29,000 feet in the sky. The climbers risked everything--their marriages, their careers, their savings accounts, their lives, just to prove that they could survive as fish out of water--however, they forgot what happens after fish flop around on the shore: they stop. The constant battle for survival on Everest illustrates Krakauer

    Read More

  • Helicopter Rescue Research Paper

    570 Words  | 3 Pages

    When people climb the mountain they run out of water really quickly. People need to not climb the mountain, because it can be very dangerous. Putting more at risk is not a good idea. It is your fault for climbing that mountain and putting more in danger is not a good

    Read More

  • Inca Trail Peru Research Paper

    885 Words  | 4 Pages

    This is the most dangerous point in terms of altitude sickness, however, you do not spend long at this altitude and by the afternoon you'll be back at 3,600 metres (11,800

    Read More

  • Mount Everest Research Paper

    701 Words  | 3 Pages

    But the mountain still attracts many climbers or mountaineers to this day. The people who love climbing mountains are called mountaineers. They can be professional or amateurs but as long as they love climbing mountains, they will make Everest their goal. Most people hire professional guides to climb Mt. Everest. It is a very expensive mountain climbing trip.

    Read More

More about Everest Base Camp Medical Clinic Research Paper

Open Document