Question:medium
At a high altitude of 3000 m, a person complains of breathlessness. All of the following can be used for the management of this person except:
At a high altitude of 3000 m, a person complains of breathlessness. All of the following can be used for the management of this person except:
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Three of these fight hypoxia or speed acclimatisation; one is a cardiac drug with no altitude role.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
- Intravenous digoxin
- Oxygen supplementation
- Immediate descent
- Acetazolamide
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The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Think of the AMS toolkit: Descend, Oxygen, Acetazolamide (and dexamethasone for cerebral, nifedipine for pulmonary oedema). Match each option against that toolkit.
Oxygen corrects the underlying hypoxia, immediate descent is the single most effective measure (even 500 to 1000 m brings relief), and acetazolamide, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, drives a bicarbonate diuresis and respiratory stimulation that hastens acclimatisation. All three are textbook AMS therapy.
Intravenous digoxin is nowhere in this toolkit. It is reserved for heart failure and supraventricular rate control and offers no benefit in hypobaric hypoxia, so it is the odd one out and the correct 'except' choice.
Oxygen corrects the underlying hypoxia, immediate descent is the single most effective measure (even 500 to 1000 m brings relief), and acetazolamide, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, drives a bicarbonate diuresis and respiratory stimulation that hastens acclimatisation. All three are textbook AMS therapy.
Intravenous digoxin is nowhere in this toolkit. It is reserved for heart failure and supraventricular rate control and offers no benefit in hypobaric hypoxia, so it is the odd one out and the correct 'except' choice.
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