The London Clinic Backs Everest Research Expedition
16 March 2007
The London Clinic, one of the UK’s most established independent
hospitals, is a key sponsor behind a major medical research
programme on Mount Everest which seeks to improve the treatment of
critically ill patients.
The project holds particular significance for The London Clinic
as it is home to one of the capital’s busiest, fully equipped
Critical Care Units (CCUs).
The Caudwell Extreme Everest project, organised by The Centre
for Altitude, Space and Extreme Environment (CASE) at University
College London, has placed a 60-strong research team on the
mountain from March – June 2007.
The team of highly experienced medical professionals, including
Dr Denny Levett and Dr Daniel Martin from The London Clinic’s
Critical Care Unit, set off for Everest on 17 March. They will use
the extreme environment to study the human response to low oxygen
levels (hypoxia) in 200 healthy volunteers – including four members
of staff from The London Clinic, who will join them on 28
April.
Dr Levett from The London Clinic, who is also one of the
Caudwell Xtreme Everest’s deputy research leaders, says: “Low
oxygen levels are an almost universal problem in critically ill
patients on breathing machines. However, it is difficult to study
the effects of low oxygen levels on their own in the Clinic as
patients have so many other health problems occurring at the same
time. Studying healthy individuals in low oxygen levels will
increase our understanding of the effects of hypoxia and enable us
to use this knowledge when caring for critically ill patients.”
Malcolm Miller, Chief Executive of The London Clinic, says: “We
are committed to providing progressive technology and medical
excellence for all our patients. By sponsoring the Caudwell Xtreme
Everest project, we are investing in essential research to ensure
our 24-hour, consultant led CCU unit continues to provide the very
best care for those patients at their most vulnerable.
"Furthermore, the data gained from the expedition has the
potential to dramatically improve intensive care medicine for the
benefit of all patients world-wide, fighting for their lives on
intensive care units.
"We are thrilled to be playing such an active role in this
pioneering research project and send our best wishes to all the
participants."
The Caudwell Xtreme Everest project is one of the core
activities
which The London Clinic is committed to in 2007 as part of its
75th anniversary celebrations.