Diving into the unknown

Travel Medicine

Injuries to children while traveling is an important topic in travel medicine. Traffic injuries and drowning are the first and second leading causes of death in children who travel, and are a far greater risk than infectious and chronic diseases. Effective prevention strategies are available, particularly for travelers who find themselves in unfamiliar environments and who may be unaware of the potential risks to their family. Despite greater understanding and increased research efforts in this field, data on the magnitude and severity of injuries are still incomplete or unreliable in many countries, but some general advice to parents, children, and adolescents can help keep them safe while traveling.

Accidents and repatriation

Accidents and injury contribute greatly to the morbidity and mortality of travellers worldwide, with road traffic accidents being a major contributer. Those travelers with serious illness and injury may need specialised medical evacuation services, which may involve an air ambulance and a specialised medical team. Such aeromedical repatriations require considerable organisation and liaison between the sending and receiving medical services and other interested parties. However, the majority of travellers requiring emergency assistance are stable patients requiring referral for medical or dental attention or special requirements for carriage on scheduled aircraft.

Unintentional injury during foreign travel: a review

Unintentional injury is a global public health problem. In 1990, an estimated 5 million people worldwide died as a result of an injury or poisoning. This accounted for 10% of deaths from all causes that year, and over half of the estimated 900 million years of life lost in 1990 due to premature death. Although mortality rates for ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and cancer are higher, the majority of people dying of these causes are elderly, with far fewer potential years of life to live. Reasons for the increasing public health importance of injury include the decline of infectious disease, the processes of urbanization, industrialization, motorization, and increased opportunities to travel.