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Outside the Whittington Hospital from left: Claire Johnson (John Cauldwell’s partner), John Cauldwell and Dr Mike Grocott |
Doctor’s team of guinea pigs on a trek to Everest
Researcher hopes high-altitude lab will help save patients’ lives
A LEADING intensive care doctor at Whittington Hospital is transferring his research laboratory from Highgate Hill to the giddy heights of Mount Everest.
Dr Mike Grocott hopes his research will reveal more about the effect that a lack of oxygen in the blood has on critically ill patients – and to do so is taking volunteers to Nepal to put them through rigorous exercises at high altitudes.
When established, his temporary laboratory will be the highest medical research lab in the world.
The project, launched this week, is backed by mobile phone entrepreneur John Cauldwell, who has donated £500,000 of his own money towards the expedition and will be among volunteers trekking for 21 days to a base camp in the Himalayan foothills.
While walking to about 5,300 metres above sea level, his blood, heart rate and oxygen levels will be closely monitored by a team of doctors headed by the Whittington-based consultant.
Mr Cauldwell and other volunteers will be put through tests to determine how the brain functions when exposed to thinner air.
Other members of the team, including Dr Grocott, will then climb to the 8,850-metre summit, continuing to monitor the effect such high altitudes have on the body.
Dr Grocott, who specialises in anaesthetics and works at University College London campus at the Highgate hospital, said the research would help intensive care doctors discover exactly what lack of oxygen does to the body – a common occurrence in critically ill patients.
He said: “Low oxygen levels are a critical factor in intensive care patients. In particular, diseases of the heart and lungs and severe infections prevent adequate amounts of oxygen reaching the cells.
“This expedition will take lessons learnt in the extreme low-oxygen environment of Everest and bring them back to the bedside. It is very hard to do this type of study with people in intensive care.
“They have a variety of medical needs and therefore it is hard to collect data. By taking a team of healthy people to the Himalayas, we will be able to learn more about the effect lack of oxygen has on the blood. We hope this knowledge will help save lives.”
Mr Caudwell, who set up the mobile phone chain store Phones 4 U, has donated £8 million of his personal wealth to medical research.
He is to undertake training to ensure he is in good condition for the trek, due to start in April. He cycles regularly, and once took part in a sponsored bike ride from Athens to Stoke-on-Trent to raise money for medical charities.
He remains undaunted by the challenge of walking for 10 hours a day and then having scientists measure the effect of the exertions on his body.
He said: “I am not experienced in mountain walking. I once went up Snowdon, but that was on a tram.
“But I am in reasonable shape and will do a bit of extra training to get myself ready.”
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