The Presenteeism Scale as a measure of productivity loss.

Background: Work Ability Score (WAS) is a common instrument for assessing work ability but its validity in assessing presenteeism and productivity loss is unknown.

Aims: To validate a WAS-based measure, the Presenteeism Scale (PS), and to evaluate its accuracy as a presenteeism instrument among forestry employees.

Methods: This validation study was based on questions of perceived WAS assessed using the Work Ability-Personal Radar (WA-PR) instrument and on questions of perceived productivity loss and presenteeism assessed using a cross-sectional questionnaire survey.

Performance, Mood, and Anxiety During a Climb of Mount Everest.

Unlabelled: Karinen, Heikki M., and Martti T. Tuomisto.

Ventilatory chemosensitivity, cerebral and muscle oxygenation, and total hemoglobin mass before and after a 72-day mt. Everest expedition.

Background: We investigated the effects of chronic hypobaric hypoxic acclimatization, performed over the course of a 72-day self-supported Everest expedition, on ventilatory chemosensitivity, arterial saturation, and tissue oxygenation adaptation along with total hemoglobin mass (tHb-mass) in nine experienced climbers (age 37±6 years, [Formula: see text] 55±7 mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)).

Methods: Exercise-hypoxia tolerance was tested using a constant treadmill exercise of 5.5 km·h(-1) at 3.

Heart rate variability changes at 2400 m altitude predicts acute mountain sickness on further ascent at 3000-4300 m altitudes.

Objective: If the body fails to acclimatize at high altitude, acute mountain sickness (AMS) may result. For the early detection of AMS, changes in cardiac autonomic function measured by heart rate variability (HRV) may be more sensitive than clinical symptoms alone. The purpose of this study was to ascertain if the changes in HRV during ascent are related to AMS.

Acute mountain sickness, two cases and their treatment in the field.

Objective: The number of lowland dwellers traveling at high altitudes has greatly increased in recent decades. Business travelers flying to La Paz or Lhasa are at risk of altitude illnesses, similarly to miners and soldiers transported to high altitudes. Traveling to high altitude requires adaptation and if this process fails due to too rapid an ascent rate or susceptibility of the climber, acute mountain sickness (AMS) may result.