During the week leading up to Anzac Day in April 2010, a team of researchers from the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital will be undertaking research looking at potential causes of illness and recent deaths of trekkers on the Kokoda Track. Led by Drs Sean Rothwell and David Rosengren from Adventure Medicine, the team also consists of Drs Bill Lukin and Julian Williams and will be assisted by Professor Alan Frost and Mr David Thomae.

Drs Rothwell, Rosengren, Lukin and Williams are all specialist Emergency Medicine Physicians from the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.

Two seperate research teams will trek a number of days in from each end of the track and set up research stations. We will be recruiting trekkers to volunteer to be part of the research project.

Volunteering to be involved will consist of:

• signing a consent form that confirms you are aware of the trial and are volunteering to be involved
• a brief questionaire will be completed assessing general health and fluid intake during the trek
• a small sample of blood will be collected - In most cases this blood sample will be collected by a simple pin-prick specimen in the same way that at diabetic person checks their blood sugar levels. It may however be necessary on occasions to take a formal specimen from a vein in the arm
• the blood sample will be analysed by portable iStat analysers with results available within a couple of minutes

If the blood test suggests a significant abnormality that would put a trekker at risk if they continue on the track, the researchers will be obliged to notify the trekker and their trek leader of this associated risk.

Importantly this research project has no commercial interest and the results will be completely independent of any commercial entity. Adventure Medicine is a non-profit medical advisory service and all researchers will be completing the research as representatives of the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine.

Whilst there is no commercial interest for the research project, the successful completion of the project is greatly enhanced by financial and logistical support from a number of organisations including:

• The Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine
• Abacus ALS
• Executive Excellence

The research team are extremely grateful for the support provided by Mr Rod Hillman, CEO of the Kokoda Track Authority (KTA).

If you would like any further details regarding the research project feel free to contact us.