Health risks of overseas travel
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《英国医生杂志》
EDITOR—In his news item Dobson highlights the health risks of overseas travel.1 I find that most of my patients who travel to malarial areas without taking prophylaxis don't do so for the following reasons.
Firstly, they don't believe they are susceptible, having lived in a malarial area for years.
Secondly, they haven't sought advice.
Thirdly, they know they ought to take it but are not willing to pay for it, although the cost of prophylaxis is a fraction of the cost of the holiday.
Fourthly, they believe that they can avoid being bitten.
Finally, very occasionally, they have travelled at very short notice. Adequate prophylaxis at the airport might therefore be helpful 24 hours a day; it could even be a condition of boarding the aeroplane that passengers have adequate and appropriate drug treatment with them.
I suggest that patients returning from abroad with preventable illnesses such as malaria are treated in the NHS only on the production of a receipt proving that they at least bought or were given the appropriate drugs for themselves and all members of their families who travelled with them.
Jonathan S Charlton, general practitioner principal
Elmcroft Surgery, 5 Elmcroft Crescent, North Harrow HA2 6HL j_charlton@hotmail.com
Competing interests: None declared.
References
Dobson R. Survey highlights health risks of overseas travel. BMJ 2004;328: 7. (3 January.)
Firstly, they don't believe they are susceptible, having lived in a malarial area for years.
Secondly, they haven't sought advice.
Thirdly, they know they ought to take it but are not willing to pay for it, although the cost of prophylaxis is a fraction of the cost of the holiday.
Fourthly, they believe that they can avoid being bitten.
Finally, very occasionally, they have travelled at very short notice. Adequate prophylaxis at the airport might therefore be helpful 24 hours a day; it could even be a condition of boarding the aeroplane that passengers have adequate and appropriate drug treatment with them.
I suggest that patients returning from abroad with preventable illnesses such as malaria are treated in the NHS only on the production of a receipt proving that they at least bought or were given the appropriate drugs for themselves and all members of their families who travelled with them.
Jonathan S Charlton, general practitioner principal
Elmcroft Surgery, 5 Elmcroft Crescent, North Harrow HA2 6HL j_charlton@hotmail.com
Competing interests: None declared.
References
Dobson R. Survey highlights health risks of overseas travel. BMJ 2004;328: 7. (3 January.)