HAPE

abbreviation

high-altitude pulmonary edema

High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) has been reported to occur at heights of 2,400 to 5,000 m (7,870 to 16,404 ft), with an incidence of 0.5% to 15%; greater risk is associated with young age, male sex, more rapid ascent, heavy exertion, and cold environment.

—Gerald W. Staton Jr, ACP Medicine

Initially the HAPE victim will notice marked breathlessness with minor exertion and develop a dry, hacking cough. As greater amounts of fluid accumulate in the lungs, the victim develops increasing shortness of breath, even while resting, and a cough that produces frothy, often blood-tinged sputum. … Although HAPE is the most common cause of death related to high altitude, if recognized early and treated properly, it is easily and completely reversed.

—Erick A. Weiss., Rock & Ice Magazine