Effectiveness of Acetazolamide Usage in

Acute Mountain Sickness Prevention: A

Systematic Review
Angely Maria Susanto¹, Josephus Regaldo Lake¹, Kezia Shanna Susanto¹
¹Universitas Pelita Harapan

Introduction Results
Mountain climbers are vulnerable to altitude sickness (also known
as mountain sickness), which can be dangerous or even fatal if
ignored. It is caused by rapidly increasing altitude, which does not
give the body enough time to adjust to decreased oxygen and
changes in air pressure, resulting in hypobaric hypoxia. Altitude
illness is a group of syndromes caused by hypoxia. Acute mountain
sickness (AMS) and high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) are
brain pathophysiology manifestations, whereas high-altitude
pulmonary edema (HAPE) is lung pathophysiology manifestation.
Acetazolamide inhibits carbonic anhydrase. That is, by preventing
its breakdown, this drug causes an accumulation of carbonic acid.
Given the increased carbonic acid, which has a reversible reaction
into bicarbonate and a hydrogen ion, the result is lower blood pH
(i.e., more acidic).

Objective
This study of systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness of
acetazolamide in mountaineers with altitude sickness.

Methods Discussion
We analyzed seven different studies that elegible with 455 sample sizes. Four of our studies prove that
Records identified through
acetazolamide is effective to prevent Altitude Mountain Sickness (AMS), two for rapid ascent, two with the
IDENTIFICATION

databases searching (n=181)

1. PubMed (n=16)
examination in 3500 to over 4500 altitude. The studies showed that acetazolamide had greater effectiveness
2. NCBI (n=20)
3. ScienceDirect (n=19) compared to other medications like budesonide or ibuprofen. About 252 samples that suffer from Acute
4. SpringerLink (n=33)
5. Google Scholar (n=67)
Mountain Sickness proved that the higher the altitude, acetazolamide can help the mountaineers. Three studies
show insignificant and ineffective acetazolamide in AMS, HAPE, HACE prevention. Some of the studies conclude
Records after duplication
that several doses of acetazolamide will not give a significant effect in AMS.
removed
(n=73)
SCREENING

Conclusion
Records remained after
screening by title and
abstract
Documents excluded on the
(n=37)
basis of inclusion and
In conclusion to our study, we found that the use of acetazolamide is effective to prevent acute mountain sickness
exclusion in mountaineers. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to evaluate the advantages, disadvantages,
ELIGIBILITY

Full-text articles assessed for (n= 23)

eligibility and side effects of acetazolamide.
(n= 14) Documents excluded on the
basis of lack essential data
(n= 7)
Recommendations
INCLUDED

Studies included in
qualitative synthesis
(n= 7)
Further experimental analytic research in randomized controlled trials should be contacted to compare the
effectiveness and understanding of acetazolamide usage in acute mountain sickness that contibute in
KEYWORDS mountaineers.
Acetazolamide, Mountaineers, Acute mountain sickness, Systematic Review

EXCLUSION
Meta-analysis
INCLUSION
Randomized Controlled Trial
Conflict of Interest References
Literature Review Retrospective Study The researchers have no conflict of interest. Scan the barcode to see the
Case-control study Populations: Mountaineers with
Systematic Review Mountain Sickness
references of our systematic
Case Remot Intervention: Usage of Acetazolamide review study.
Animal Study Comparison: Other Medications
Outcome: Effectiveness of
Acetazolamide in Acute Mountain
Sickness