Life and Death on Mt Everest

Conference Vault, Mountain Medicine
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We’re finally able to unlock the WEM24 vault and share with you what you may have missed out on in 2024.
Explore these three sessions from Edinburgh, delving into the extremes of space, altitude, and heat, and what they reveal about the limits of human performance and medicine.

Jeremy Windsor takes us into the thin air of the world’s highest mountain to examine the physiological limits of human survival, the evolving ethics of Everest expeditions, and the complex realities of medical decision-making at altitude.
Blending science, history, and personal experience, this session offers a candid look at life, death, and leadership on the slopes of Mt Everest – where every breath is a clinical challenge.

More Information

Length: 53m
Guests: Jeremy Windsor

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session participants will be able to:

  • Explain the pathophysiology of altitude illness, including AMS, HACE, and HAPE.

  • Analyse how hypoxia and environmental extremes affect performance and cognition.

  • Discuss the ethical and logistical challenges of providing care in high-risk expedition settings.

  • Evaluate strategies for preparation, triage, and evacuation in remote mountain environments.

  • Recognise the human factors and leadership principles that influence outcomes in high-altitude medicine.

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