7 May 2019
The 2019 London Marathon was held on Sunday 29 April and three of our very own trainee clinical scientists were in attendance to support the massive healthcare operation on the day.
Elli Edmiston, Alex Read and Kade Flowers volunteered to help by using of point-of-care testing devices to run venous blood samples for runners who were struggling. While the devices can run a number of tests, the majority of tests the team carried out on the day were sodium tests for runners who had taken on too much water and had stripped their bodies of crucial salts.
The trainees were asked to participate by St George’s Cardiologist Professor Sanjay Sharma, who is Medical Director for the London Marathon. The team were split over three tents throughout the 26.2 mile course and were part of a multi-disciplinary team providing treatment to runners. Not only was the team able to enjoy the atmosphere of the day, they were also able to fulfil competencies as part of their training. The team greatly enjoyed the day and are looking forward to the chance to be part of it again next year.
