Throughout the last 850 meters that precede the summit of theMonte Everestmany mountaineers have fallen throughout history. Is the call“death zone”, a region where acclimatization is practically impossible and the available oxygen is reduced so much that every minute that passes reduces the chances of survival. Now an international team of investigators, led by physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital, has investigated the reasons for each of the212 deaths recorded in this high mountain area between 1921 and 2006. Their conclusions are published in the magazineBritish Medical Journal.
The data analyzed reveal that the mortality rate in these 86 years has been 1.3%, and that most of the mountaineers who died showed symptoms such as confusion, loss of physical coordination and even loss of consciousness. All of this points toedema cerebral, that is, the rupture of the blood vessels of the brain due to excess height. Surprisingly, there have been hardly any deaths from avalanches or ice falls, especially in recent decades.
On the other hand, researchers have found that among thesherpas who live on the slopes of Everest and who normally accompany mountaineers, the number of deaths is much lower. “Most Sherpas are born and spend their lives at high altitude, so they are better acclimatized”, underlines the article published in BMJ, where they express their interest in studying in depth the physiology of these individuals.
