Why does a rapid ascent to high altitude impair oxygen delivery to tissues, even when minute ventilation increases significantly?

💡 Explanation

At high altitude, decreased partial pressure of oxygen in the alveoli impairs oxygen saturation of hemoglobin. The Bohr effect induces a leftward shift of the oxygen dissociation curve because of decreased pCO2, therefore hemoglobin's affinity for oxygen increases, impeding oxygen unloading in tissues, rather than facilitating it, as 2,3-BPG production would counteract.

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