Operation Everest II

OEII is an ambitious and complex project which is only possible through the full and enthusiastic support of the U.S. Army Institute of Environmental Medicine. The support staff at the hypobaric chamber will man the chamber controls 24 hours a day throughout the study, and full use of laboratories and equipment has been assured. We will maximize the opportunities for research by involving many other scientists active in altitude research, and with widely differing areas of expertise. Many measurements will be made at extreme altitudes which--at least today--are not possible in the mountain environment. Though some may be possible in a hospital setting, using hypoxic patients, OEII is the only method by which the adjustments to graded induced hypoxia can be studied from their beginning. Thus we will not only shed light on the ability of healthy persons to work on the highest point on earth, but also on the mechanisms which permit survival of many seriously ill patients.