Related Experiment Videos
Travel and venous thrombosis
Alexander S Gallus1, Douglas C Goghlan
1Department of Hematology, Flinders Medical Center, Adelaide, Australia. alexander.gallus@flinders.edu.au
Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine
|August 13, 2002
Summary
Travel, especially long-haul flights, may increase the risk of venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (PE). Risk appears to rise exponentially with travel times exceeding six hours, particularly for those with pre-existing risk factors.
Area of Science:
- Medical Science
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- The association between travel and venous thromboembolism (VTE), including pulmonary embolism (PE), remains a subject of ongoing scientific debate.
- Previous studies have yielded conflicting results regarding the extent to which travel predisposes individuals to VTE.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the evidence linking travel, particularly prolonged air travel, to an increased risk of venous thrombosis and PE.
- To identify potential mechanisms and at-risk populations for travel-related VTE.
Main Methods:
- Review of case-control studies and analyses of travel history in patients presenting with PE.
- Examination of data on the relationship between travel duration and the incidence of embolism.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests a potential increased risk of VTE with prolonged air travel exceeding six hours, with risk escalating exponentially.
- Risk may reach approximately 1:200,000 for passengers traveling over 12 hours.
- Venous stasis due to prolonged sitting is the likely mechanism, with preliminary evidence suggesting compression stockings may help.
Conclusions:
- While the absolute risk from travel-related thrombosis requires further study, prolonged travel appears to be a risk factor, especially for individuals with pre-existing VTE risk factors.
- Targeted advice and precautions for high-risk individuals are currently recommended pending more definitive research.