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ARTICLE |

Use of Contact Lenses on Mountaineering Expeditions FREE

Christopher J. Pizzo, MD; William E. Smith, MD
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Edited by John D. Archer, MD, Senior Editor.


JAMA. 1984;252(19):2701-2701. doi:10.1001/jama.1984.03350190011007
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To the Editor.—  Daytime use only of contact lenses on mountaineering expeditions is not practical because hand washing is next to impossible, carrying cleansing and storing solutions is inconvenient, and stored soft lenses can freeze. The use of eyeglasses on mountaineering expeditions is also somewhat impractical because they tend to fog up during climbing and multiple pairs must be carried, including one with darkly tinted lenses and side protectors to prevent snow blindness. The development of highly oxygen-permeable, extended-wear soft contact lenses has been followed with a great deal of interest among high-altitude mountaineers who wear eyeglasses. We report the successful use of extendedwear contact lenses to the summit of an 8,000-m (26,240-ft) peak.The limiting factor in the use of continuous-wear contact lenses at high altitude is the oxygen permeability of the lens, since, at sleep, the cornea is oxygenated by diffusion from the palpebral capillaries. It has been

REFERENCES

Polse K, Mandell R:  Effects of reduced oxygen tension at the corneal surface . Arch Ophthalmol 1970;; 84:505-508.
West J, Hackett P, Maret K, et al:  Pulmonary gas exchange on the summit of Mt. Everest . J Appl Physiol 1983;;55:678-687.
Clark C:  Contact lenses at high altitudes: Experience on Everest's southwest face 1975 . Br J Ophthalmol 1976;;60:479-480.
Hapnes R:  Soft contact lenses worn at a simulated altitude of 18,000 feet . Acta Ophthalmol 1980;;58:90-95.

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Polse K, Mandell R:  Effects of reduced oxygen tension at the corneal surface . Arch Ophthalmol 1970;; 84:505-508.
West J, Hackett P, Maret K, et al:  Pulmonary gas exchange on the summit of Mt. Everest . J Appl Physiol 1983;;55:678-687.
Clark C:  Contact lenses at high altitudes: Experience on Everest's southwest face 1975 . Br J Ophthalmol 1976;;60:479-480.
Hapnes R:  Soft contact lenses worn at a simulated altitude of 18,000 feet . Acta Ophthalmol 1980;;58:90-95.
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