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Travel Medicine (travel + medicine)
Selected AbstractsMinimizing Pathogen Transmission at Primate Ecotourism Destinations: The Need for Input from Travel MedicineJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 4 2009Michael P. Muehlenbein PhD, MsPH First page of article [source] Impact Factors and the Journal of Travel MedicineJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2008Derek R. Smith PhD, DrMedSc, FACTM, FRSPH No abstract is available for this article. [source] Should Health-Care Providers in the United States Have Access to Influenza Vaccines Formulated for the Southern Hemisphere?JOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2008Raymond A. Strikas MD Background Influenza is the most common vaccine-preventable disease in travelers. It circulates year-round in the tropics, November to March in the northern hemisphere (NH), and April to October in the southern hemisphere (SH). In 2005, approximately 8.5 million US adults aged 18 years and older traveled to the Caribbean. A similar number traveled to the tropics and the SH. SH formulation of influenza vaccine is not available in the United States. We surveyed International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) members to ask if they would use SH influenza vaccine if available. Methods We electronically mailed a survey in December 2006 to 1,251 ISTM members in the United States. We asked if respondents would use SH vaccine for patients traveling to the SH or tropics, how many such patients per week they see, and their practice location. Results We received 157 responses for a response rate of 12.5%. Of these, 129 (82%) stated that they would be interested in having SH influenza vaccine available. Of those indicating interest, 73 (60%) reported seeing >10 patients traveling to the SH or tropics each week. Respondents reported practice settings in 34 states and the District of Columbia. Respondents requested more information about the likely cost of SH influenza vaccine, ordering conditions, vaccine use guidelines, comparability with NH vaccine, and approval of SH vaccine by the Food and Drug Administration. Conclusions Many travelers to the SH are at risk for influenza infection. Although only a limited number of ISTM members responded, respondents indicated considerable interest in availability of SH influenza vaccine for their patients. More data from travel medicine and other practitioners are needed on this topic. Inquiries are being made of influenza vaccine manufacturers about licensing SH influenza vaccines in the United States. Adding SH influenza vaccine to the vaccines available to NH clinicians could help mitigate the morbidity of influenza in travelers. [source] The Revised International Health Regulations and Their Relevance to Travel MedicineJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 3 2007MFPHM, MRCGP, Max Hardiman MBChB The revised International Health Regulations 2005 (IHR 2005) will enter into force in June 2007. Here we give an overview of the IHR (2005) and their relevance to the travel medicine practitioner. The two specific applications of the IHR (2005) most likely to be encountered by travelers are the disinsection of aircraft to prevent importation of disease vectors and the yellow fever vaccination requirements imposed by certain countries. A model of the revised international certificate of vaccination or prophylaxis will be shown. The IHR (2005) has moved away from the definition of fixed maximum measures relating to specific diseases and in their place focus on the issuance of context-specific recommendations, made either on a temporary emergency basis or established for routine application in respect of ongoing risks of disease spread. [source] The Body of Knowledge for the Practice of Travel Medicine,2006JOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2006Phyllis Kozarsky MD First page of article [source] The "New" Journal of Travel MedicineJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2006Robert Steffen No abstract is available for this article. [source] Confronting the New Challenge in Travel Medicine: SARSJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2003Annelies Wilder-Smith No abstract is available for this article. [source] Corporate Travel Medicine: Benefit Analysis of On-Site ServicesJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 4 2001Timothy S. Prince Background: Corporations with employees who travel internationally address their travel-related medical needs in a variety of ways. Options utilized include corporate medical departments, local health departments, and local clinics, both contracted and independent. Methods: A travel clinic at a university medical center routinely provided preventive travel medicine services for many of the local companies. Two of these companies had on-site medical clinics which routinely saw patients for occupational and personal health reasons. At these companies, the university travel clinic assisted in moving employee travel medicine services to the on-site clinic. Direct and indirect costs for new, predeparture employee travel care at each company were compared before, and after, the move on-site. Results: When measured per patient, total cost savings associated with the on-site travel clinic were greater than 15% at both companies (17%, 25%), primarily due to the value of the employees' time saved with decreased travel. Utilization increased at one company by 24% over the first 8 months and lead to higher overall cost, but this cost increase was only 4%. Informal assessments of the value of the on-site service at both companies was uniformly positive. Conclusion: For certain corporate settings, on-site clinics may be effective ways of providing travel medicine services. [source] Travel Medicine: Key to Improved Adult Vaccination against Hepatitis A and BJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 2001Charles D. Ericsson No abstract is available for this article. [source] A Study of the Incidence of Accidents Occurring during an Arctic Expedition: Another Important Aspect of Travel Medicine?JOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 4 2000Fiona J. Cooke No abstract is available for this article. [source] Travel Medicine and the Solid Organ Transplant RecipientAMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 2009C. N. Kotton First page of article [source] Online Communication as a Potential Travel Medicine Research Tool: Analysis of Messages Posted on the TravelMed ListservJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2009Liane Macdonald MD Background Access to the Internet and electronic mail has created opportunities for online discussion that can facilitate medical education and clinical problem solving. Research into the use of these information technologies is increasing and the analysis of these tools can support and guide the activities of professional organizations, including educational endeavors. Objective The initial objective was to analyze patterns of information exchange on the International Society of Travel Medicine's (ISTM) travel health electronic mailing list related to a specific area of society interest. Secondary objectives included the analysis of listserv use in relation to subscriber demographics and rates of participation to support travel health educational activities. Methods This study examined the use of the ISTM TravelMed listserv over an 8-month period from January 1, 2006, to July 31, 2006. Descriptive data analysis included TravelMed user demographics, the type of posting, the topic and frequency of postings, and the source of information provided. Results During the study period, 911 (47%) of the eligible ISTM members subscribed to the TravelMed listserv. About 369 of these subscribers posted 1,710 individual messages. About 1,506 (88%) postings were educational; 207 (12%) postings were administrative. A total of 389 (26%) of the educational postings were primary queries and 1,120 (74%) were responses, with a mean string length of 2.9 responses per query (range: 1,51). Twenty participants contributed 40% of the educational postings. The topics with the most frequent postings were vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases (473/31%) and malaria (258/17%). Postings focused on special populations, including pregnant women or immigrants, comprised a total of 14 postings (<1%). Conclusions During the study period, a limited number of ISTM members (19%) authored postings on the listserv. Regular discussion centered on a limited number of recurring topics. The analysis provides several opportunities for the support of educational initiatives, clinical problem solving, and program evaluation. [source] Do the learning needs of rural and urban general practitioners differ?AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 6 2005James A. Allan Abstract Introduction:,The challenges of rural general practice have given rise to a separate rural training stream and a separate rural professional body. The differences are characterised by the nature of the work undertaken by rural GPs and reflected in the continuing medical education topic choices made when surveyed. Methods:,In 2001 a survey was designed and distributed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and Divisions of General Practice in South Australia and Northern Territory. The survey utilised a list of 104 topics. The topic choices of rural and urban GPs were compared. Results:,The survey was distributed to approximately 1762 GPs and yielded 578 responses (33%). Rural GPs were more likely to select the following topics: Anaesthetics, Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander health, Population Health, Renal medicine, Cardiology, Teaching skills, Obstetrics, Neonates, Arrhythmias, Fracture management, Tropical medicine and Therapeutics. Urban GPs were more likely to select Menopause, Travel medicine and Palliative care (P < 0.05). Discussion:,Many of the areas of difference reflected aspects of rural general practice. There were also many similarities in topic choices between these two groups. [source] Travel medicine, a speciality on the moveCLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION, Issue 3 2010P. Gautret No abstract is available for this article. [source] Should Health-Care Providers in the United States Have Access to Influenza Vaccines Formulated for the Southern Hemisphere?JOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2008Raymond A. Strikas MD Background Influenza is the most common vaccine-preventable disease in travelers. It circulates year-round in the tropics, November to March in the northern hemisphere (NH), and April to October in the southern hemisphere (SH). In 2005, approximately 8.5 million US adults aged 18 years and older traveled to the Caribbean. A similar number traveled to the tropics and the SH. SH formulation of influenza vaccine is not available in the United States. We surveyed International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) members to ask if they would use SH influenza vaccine if available. Methods We electronically mailed a survey in December 2006 to 1,251 ISTM members in the United States. We asked if respondents would use SH vaccine for patients traveling to the SH or tropics, how many such patients per week they see, and their practice location. Results We received 157 responses for a response rate of 12.5%. Of these, 129 (82%) stated that they would be interested in having SH influenza vaccine available. Of those indicating interest, 73 (60%) reported seeing >10 patients traveling to the SH or tropics each week. Respondents reported practice settings in 34 states and the District of Columbia. Respondents requested more information about the likely cost of SH influenza vaccine, ordering conditions, vaccine use guidelines, comparability with NH vaccine, and approval of SH vaccine by the Food and Drug Administration. Conclusions Many travelers to the SH are at risk for influenza infection. Although only a limited number of ISTM members responded, respondents indicated considerable interest in availability of SH influenza vaccine for their patients. More data from travel medicine and other practitioners are needed on this topic. Inquiries are being made of influenza vaccine manufacturers about licensing SH influenza vaccines in the United States. Adding SH influenza vaccine to the vaccines available to NH clinicians could help mitigate the morbidity of influenza in travelers. [source] Practice Guidelines for Evaluation of Fever in Returning Travelers and MigrantsJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 2003Valérie D'Acremont Background Fever upon return from tropical or subtropical regions can be caused by diseases that are rapidly fatal if left untreated. The differential diagnosis is wide. Physicians often lack the necessary knowledge to appropriately take care of such patients. Objective To develop practice guidelines for the initial evaluation of patients presenting with fever upon return from a tropical or subtropical country in order to reduce delays and potential fatal outcomes and to improve knowledge of physicians. Target audience Medical personnel, usually physicians, who see the returning patients, primarily in an ambulatory setting or in an emergency department of a hospital and specialists in internal medicine, infectious diseases, and travel medicine. Method A systematic review of the literature,mainly extracted from the National Library of Medicine database,was performed between May 2000 and April 2001, using the keywords fever and/or travel and/or migrant and/or guidelines. Eventually, 250 articles were reviewed. The relevant elements of evidence were used in combination with expert knowledge to construct an algorithm with arborescence flagging the level of specialization required to deal with each situation. The proposed diagnoses and treatment plans are restricted to tropical or subtropical diseases (nonautochthonous diseases). The decision chart is accompanied with a detailed document that provides for each level of the tree the degree of evidence and the grade of recommendation as well as the key points of debate. Participants and consensus process Besides the 4 authors (2 specialists in travel/tropical medicine, 1 clinical epidemiologist, and 1 resident physician), a panel of 11 European physicians with different levels of expertise on travel medicine reviewed the guidelines. Thereafter, each point of the proposed recommendations was discussed with 15 experts in travel/tropical medicine from various continents. A final version was produced and submitted for evaluation to all participants. Conclusion Although the quality of evidence was limited by the paucity of clinical studies, these guidelines established with the support of a large and highly experienced panel should help physicians to deal with patients coming back from the Tropics with fever. [source] Resources Used by General Practitioners for Advising Travelers from New ZealandJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2000Peter A. Leggat Background: The risks of the destination and any specific requirements for travel health advice may be obtained from a variety of resources. This study was designed to investigate the usefulness of various resources available in New Zealand for providing travel health advice and the extent to which GPs used these resources in providing travel health advice. Methods: Four hundred GPs (400/2830) were randomly selected from the register of the New Zealand Medical Council and sent self-administered questionnaires. Two reminders were sent. Results: Three hundred and thirty-two (332/400, 83%) GPs responded. The usefulness of various resources was reported, including Health Advice for Overseas Travellers (277/289, 96%), New Ethicals (256/278, 92%), New Zealand Public Health Report (79/164, 48%), International Travel and Health (41/144, 28%), computerized databases (6/122, 5%), journals (14/130, 11%), and other resources (44/139, 32%). Health Advice for Overseas Travellers was regarded as significantly more useful than International Travel and Health (x2= 4,68, df = 1, p < .05). Only 23% (70/309) of respondents indicated that they always used these resources in their practice of travel medicine. Fifty percent (154/309) of respondents indicated that they usually used these resources, while 27% (83/309) of respondents indicated that they used these resources sometimes. Only 1% (2/309) of GPs did not use resources at all for their practice of travel medicine. Conclusion: The most useful resource was Health Advice for Overseas Travellers, which outlines the New Zealand recommendations for medical practitioners providing travel health advice. It may be useful for GPs to gain access to and training in association with a greater range of specialist resources to use in conjunction with the provision of travel health advice. These might include international guidelines, journals, and access to computerized databases and the internet. With the recent introduction of a widely accessible computerized database in New Zealand, follow-up studies could be instituted to determine if GPs' use of computerized databases becomes more widespread and whether access to and use of these computerized databases influences the provision of travel health advice by GPs. Further studies are needed to examine the appropriateness of the advice provided by the various resources used by GPs in New Zealand. [source] The practice of travel medicine in EuropeCLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION, Issue 3 2010P. Schlagenhauf Clin Microbiol Infect 2010; 16: 203,208 Abstract Europe, because of its geographical location, strategic position on trade routes, and colonial past, has a long history of caring for travellers' health. Within Europe, there is great diversity in the practice of travel medicine. Some countries have travel medicine societies and provisions for a periodic distribution of recommendations, but many countries have no national pre-travel guidelines and follow international recommendations such as those provided by the WHO. Providers of travel medicine include tropical medicine specialists, general practice nurses and physicians, specialist ,travel clinics', occupational physicians, and pharmacists. One of the core functions of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control-funded network of travel and tropical medicine professionals, EuroTravNet, is to document the status quo of travel medicine in Europe. A three-pronged approach is used, with a real-time online questionnaire, a structured interview with experts in each country, and web searching. [source] | ||||||||||