The Caudwell Xtreme Everest expedition during the spring of 2007 was the largest human physiology study ever performed at extreme altitude. The expedition team used Everest as their laboratory with the aim of improving the care of critically ill patients with low oxygen levels. Their hope is that the work will lead to new therapies which will improve the survival of patients in intensive care units.

In common with intensive care patients, high altitude trekkers and mountaineers have a low level of oxygen in their cells. In purpose built exercise laboratories positioned along the trek to Mount Everest base camp, over two hundred volunteer trekkers were studied as they climbed progressively higher. A smaller group of climbing investigators performed more detailed studies high on the mountain.

The twin aims of the research are to investigate differences between individuals in their ability to adapt to low oxygen levels (hypoxia) and to define more precisely the limits of human tolerance to hypoxia.

Mike Grocott is a Senior Lecturer in Intensive Care Medicine at University College London (UCL) and an Honorary Consultant Anaesthetist at the Whittington Hospital and University College London Hospitals. He is Co-director of the Centre for Altitude, Space and Extreme environment medicine (CASE), Deputy Director of the Institute of Human Health and Performance at UCL. He is also the director of Caudwell Xtreme-Everest (CXE) and was expedition leader for the CXE medical research expedition to Everest in spring 2007. His research interests include human adaptation to hypoxia, measuring and improving outcome following surgery, and fluid therapy.

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