UKC

BBC Horizon - Doctors in the Death Zone

© Caudwell Xtreme Everest
The Caudwell Xtreme Everest expedition placed a research team on the summit of Everest in May 2007 and made the first ever measurement of the level of oxygen in human blood at 8400m, on the Balcony of Everest. This was the centrepiece of an extensive and continuing programme of research into hypoxia (low oxygen levels) and human performance at extreme altitude aimed at improving the care of the critically ill and other patients where hypoxia is a fundamental problem.

The expedition was filmed by the BBC and IMAX. The BBC are showing two one hour films this month:

Sunday 23 September 2007, 8pm, BBC Two
Sunday 30 September 2007, 8pm, BBC Two

From the BBC website:

"This two-part special follows a team of doctors conducting a series of groundbreaking experiments as they climb Everest, the world's highest peak.

From their laboratory tents, pitched in -25 degC conditions, the experts use their own bodies for medical tests. They push themselves to the limit to better understand the human body's behaviour in a low-oxygen environment.

The team hopes their work will lead to new, life-saving treatments for intensive care patients suffering from hypoxia, a shortage of oxygen in the body.


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20 Sep, 2007
Just got an email this week from one of my friends who was on this exped. Thanks for saving me the effort of starting a thread about it myself.
21 Sep, 2007
Followed by another everest programme at 9pm Everest ER Sunday, 23 Sep 2007 9:00pm - 10:00pm (1 Hour ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BBC4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Life in the mountain's base camp clinic. Set up by Dr Luanne Freer in 2003, the facilities allow doctors to spend 10 weeks every spring treating climbers who have been injured or become unwell in the thin atmosphere. In the village of Pherice, 1,000 metres below the base camp, British doctor Alice Murray offers a similar service, where she also helps yak herders and lodge owners with health care
22 Sep, 2007
There are a couple of radio podcasts about the exped, originally broadcast on R2 http://www.bbc.co.uk//radio4/science/xtremeeverest.shtml
1 Oct, 2007
Its repeated @ 3-05am tuesday morning 2nd oct BBC1- youve got 6hrs to set the video!
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