Local Doctor Set To Scale Everest In Name Of Medical
Research
16 March 2007
|
A doctor from North Finchley is preparing for the trip of a
lifetime when she sets off on Saturday (17 March) to climb Mount
Everest as part of a pioneering research project – Caudwell Xtreme
Everest.
Dr Denny Levett (35) works in the Critical Care Unit at The
London Clinic. She will form part of a 60-strong team taking part
in the three-month expedition (March – June 2007) organised by The
Centre for Altitude, Space and Extreme Environment Medicine (CASE),
at University College London.
|
|
| |
|
The project hopes to place a research team on the summit of
Everest who will use the extreme environment as a means of
investigating critical illness and human physiology. The Caudwell
Xtreme Everest team will be specifically studying the human
response to low oxygen levels (hypoxia) in 200 healthy volunteers
from the general public and 24 doctors and scientists.
Dr Levett, who is one of the Caudwell Xtreme Everest’s deputy
research leaders, says: “Low oxygen levels (hypoxia) 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 children and adults affected by it back at
home.”
Dr.Levett is not adverse to taking on such challenges. Aside
from her highly demanding role on the Critical Care Unit at The
London Clinic, Denny has also previously taken part in a number of
marine biology expeditions in Tanzania, Oman and Fiji. She is an
experienced diver and has also taken part in mountaineering
expeditions in remote locations worldwide.
Dr Levett adds: “I am really looking forward to the excitement
of conducting experiments high on Everest – our biggest challenge
will be ensuring all our high-tech equipment works in such an
extreme environment!”
The London Clinic, one of the UK's most established independent
hospitals, is dedicated to providing progressive technology and
medical excellence for all its patients. As part of its 75th
anniversary celebrations, The London Clinic is thrilled to be
supporting the Caudwell Xtreme Everest project - both sponsoring
the medical research programme and also funding four Clinic staff
members as participants.