Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 38 in total

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  1. Rainford AC, Flaherty GT, Hallahan B
    J Travel Med, 2023 Jun 23;30(4).
    PMID: 36377759 DOI: 10.1093/jtm/taac135
    Matched MeSH terms: Travel Medicine*
  2. Flaherty GT, Piyaphanee W
    J Travel Med, 2023 Feb 18;30(1).
    PMID: 36208173 DOI: 10.1093/jtm/taac113
    Matched MeSH terms: Travel Medicine*
  3. Asawapaithulsert P, Flaherty GT, Piyaphanee W
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2022 Aug 17;107(2):492-494.
    PMID: 35895400 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.22-0177
    Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a rapid increase in international travel. Travel medicine is a branch of preventive medicine focusing on risk assessment pre-travel, during travel and post-travel with the aim of promoting health and preventing adverse health outcomes. Travel medicine specialists inform travelers about potential health risks and mitigate infectious disease risks such as travelers' diarrhea, yellow fever, and malaria. Travel medicine topics were popular in the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene conferences between 2016 and 2020, and now comprise approximately 2% of all presentations. Most topics related to the post-travel assessment (50%), followed by diseases contracted during travel (26%), and pre-travel assessment and consultation (24%). Our analysis of the 10 sub-domains of travel medicine issues found that malaria (26%) and immunization (12%) were represented to the greatest extent. We anticipate that both travel and tropical medicine fields will regain their popularity after recovery from the pandemic.
    Matched MeSH terms: Travel Medicine
  4. Flaherty G, Chai SY, Hallahan B
    BJPsych Bull, 2020 Apr 13.
    PMID: 32279684 DOI: 10.1192/bjb.2020.32
    For a person with mental illness, travelling abroad can be challenging but it can be easier when the traveller and healthcare practitioner have a clear understanding of the likely impact of travel on the illness and of the illness on the travel experience. Travel may also precipitate first presentations of mental illness or unmask previously undiagnosed mental disorders. We propose that mental health problems should receive greater recognition in travel medicine and that psychiatrists should collaborate more closely with travel medicine clinicians to ensure that their patients benefit from the opportunities afforded by international travel.
    Matched MeSH terms: Travel Medicine
  5. Liew CH, Flaherty GT
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2020 03;102(3):689-697.
    PMID: 31933464 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0793
    Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among international travelers. It is unknown whether CVD is a barrier to international travel. The purpose of this study was to describe the travel experiences of a cohort of individuals with CVD, to identify their perceived barriers to travel, and to generate recommendations for CVD travelers, medical practitioners, and the travel industry. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with CVD patients who had attended either a regional, structured, multidisciplinary CVD prevention program or a cardiac rehabilitation program. Coding and thematic analysis of the transcripts were supported by NVivo® computer software. Peer debriefing with an independent researcher was undertaken. Demographic and clinical data such as gender, age, and types of cardiovascular condition were also recorded. Twelve patients (eight males), with a mean age of 68 ± 7.58 years, agreed to semi-structured interviews (26-78 minutes duration). The key themes emerging from the interviews included altered travel perception, accessing medical care overseas, issues with medications, medical device concerns at airports, restricted leisure travel activities, and optimal self-care. All interviewees perceived a health benefit to travel and did not regard CVD as a significant barrier to international travel. Certain cardiovascular conditions precipitated more travel anxiety. These findings highlight the unique experiences of CVD patients when engaging in international travel. Cardiovascular disease optimization and responsible travel health behaviors would facilitate medically uneventful overseas travel. The results may inform pretravel health advice given to CVD travelers. Further studies on issues relating to air travel in CVD are warranted.
    Matched MeSH terms: Travel Medicine
  6. Haider N, Yavlinsky A, Simons D, Osman AY, Ntoumi F, Zumla A, et al.
    Epidemiol Infect, 2020 02 26;148:e41.
    PMID: 32100667 DOI: 10.1017/S0950268820000424
    Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV [SARS-COV-2]) was detected in humans during the last week of December 2019 at Wuhan city in China, and caused 24 554 cases in 27 countries and territories as of 5 February 2020. The objective of this study was to estimate the risk of transmission of 2019-nCoV through human passenger air flight from four major cities of China (Wuhan, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou) to the passengers' destination countries. We extracted the weekly simulated passengers' end destination data for the period of 1-31 January 2020 from FLIRT, an online air travel dataset that uses information from 800 airlines to show the direct flight and passengers' end destination. We estimated a risk index of 2019-nCoV transmission based on the number of travellers to destination countries, weighted by the number of confirmed cases of the departed city reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). We ranked each country based on the risk index in four quantiles (4th quantile being the highest risk and 1st quantile being the lowest risk). During the period, 388 287 passengers were destined for 1297 airports in 168 countries or territories across the world. The risk index of 2019-nCoV among the countries had a very high correlation with the WHO-reported confirmed cases (0.97). According to our risk score classification, of the countries that reported at least one Coronavirus-infected pneumonia (COVID-19) case as of 5 February 2020, 24 countries were in the 4th quantile of the risk index, two in the 3rd quantile, one in the 2nd quantile and none in the 1st quantile. Outside China, countries with a higher risk of 2019-nCoV transmission are Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Canada and the USA, all of which reported at least one case. In pan-Europe, UK, France, Russia, Germany and Italy; in North America, USA and Canada; in Oceania, Australia had high risk, all of them reported at least one case. In Africa and South America, the risk of transmission is very low with Ethiopia, South Africa, Egypt, Mauritius and Brazil showing a similar risk of transmission compared to the risk of any of the countries where at least one case is detected. The risk of transmission on 31 January 2020 was very high in neighbouring Asian countries, followed by Europe (UK, France, Russia and Germany), Oceania (Australia) and North America (USA and Canada). Increased public health response including early case recognition, isolation of identified case, contract tracing and targeted airport screening, public awareness and vigilance of health workers will help mitigate the force of further spread to naïve countries.
    Matched MeSH terms: Travel Medicine
  7. Kc B, Khan TM, Xuan WY, Alrasheedy AA, Mohamed Ibrahim MI, Leggat PA
    Travel Med Infect Dis, 2019 07 31;33:101463.
    PMID: 31376464 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2019.07.019
    BACKGROUND: Millions of tourists visit Malaysia annually while a large number of Malaysians travel overseas. Taking care of travellers' healthcare needs is important aspect of the healthcare system. Community pharmacies are ideally positioned to provide travel health-related services. However, studies are lacking in this area. Therefore, this study aims to explore the nature and type of travel health-related services provided by Malaysian community pharmacies.

    METHODS: A survey was carried out at 135 community pharmacies in nine districts of Selangor, Malaysia, from November 2017 to February 2018, using a self-administered standardized questionnaire.

    RESULTS: The majority (n = 95, 85%) of community pharmacies reported to have provided services to both international travellers and outbound Malaysian travellers. The common healthcare services provided to international travellers were monitoring of chronic diseases including hypertension and diabetes, and advice on minor ailments, supplements and medical devices. The key health services provided to outbound Malaysian travellers were advice on vaccination requirements, better management of chronic diseases and necessary medications to manage illness during travel. Most of the respondents supported the provision of travel health-related services through the community pharmacies.

    CONCLUSION: The study findings showed that Malaysian community pharmacies provided several travel health-related services to both international and Malaysian outbound travellers. Pharmacists in Malaysia are ideally positioned to have an increased role in travel medicine. They have the training to advise on complex medication issues especially with regard to interactions and polypharmacy. However, further training and courses should be provided that are tailored specifically for the needs of this professional group.

    Matched MeSH terms: Travel Medicine/methods*; Travel Medicine/statistics & numerical data*
  8. Coyle DJ, Flaherty GT
    J Travel Med, 2019 May 10;26(3).
    PMID: 30407552 DOI: 10.1093/jtm/tay121
    Matched MeSH terms: Travel Medicine/education*
  9. Flaherty GT, Liew CH, Leggat PA
    J Travel Med, 2019 Jan 01;26(1).
    PMID: 30521043 DOI: 10.1093/jtm/tay144
    Matched MeSH terms: Travel Medicine
  10. Sanford CA, Flaherty GT
    J Travel Med, 2019 Jan 01;26(1).
    PMID: 30476161 DOI: 10.1093/jtm/tay103
    Matched MeSH terms: Travel Medicine*
  11. Kohl SE, Van Tilburg C, Flaherty GT
    J Travel Med, 2019 Jan 01;26(1).
    PMID: 30535106 DOI: 10.1093/jtm/tay145
    Matched MeSH terms: Travel Medicine/trends*
  12. Darrat M, Flaherty GT
    PMID: 31548898 DOI: 10.1186/s40794-019-0094-8
    Background: Older people represent a significant proportion of overseas travellers. The epidemiology of older international travellers is not well described in the literature. This study aims to identify demographics, travel characteristics and the medical profile of older travellers seeking pre-travel health advice in a specialist travel medicine clinic.

    Methods: Records of travellers aged 60 years and older attending the Tropical Medical Bureau clinic in Galway, Ireland between 2014 and 2018 were examined. Descriptive and inferential.analysis of data was performed.

    Results: A total of 337 older travellers sought pre-travel health advice during the study period. The mean age of the cohort was 65.42 (±10) years. Most of the travellers (n = 267, 80%) had at least one travelling companion. Nearly half of older travellers (n = 155, 46.8%) were travelling with a single companion. Tourism was the main reason for travel for the majority (n = 260, 77.6%), followed by visiting friends and relatives (VFR) (n = 23, 6.9%) travellers. The mean interval remaining before the planned trip was 4.36 (±2) weeks, and the mean duration of travel was 3.16 (±1) weeks. The most popular single country of destination was India with 33 (9.8%) visitors, and South East Asia was the most popular region with 132 (39.2%) older travellers. The majority of travellers (n = 267, 79.2%) had a documented pre-existing medical condition. The most commonly reported medical conditions were hypertension (n = 26, 7.7%), dyslipidaemia (n = 18, 5.3%), diabetes mellitus (n = 12, 3.5%), insect bite sensitivity (n = 11, 3.3%), and hypothyroidism (n = 9, 2.6%). Antihypertensive agents (n = 32, 9.4%) and statins (n = 24, 7.1%) were the most frequently used medications. Typhoid (n = 112, 33.2%) and hepatitis A (n = 84, 24.9%) were the most common vaccinations administered to older travellers at the clinic.

    Conclusions: This study provides an insight into the demographics, travel characteristics, and medical profile of elderly travellers seeking advice at a large travel clinic in Ireland. A wide range of travel destinations, diseases and medication use was reported among this group of travellers, which may enable travel medicine physicians to provide more tailored advice and to more appropriately counsel older travellers.

    Matched MeSH terms: Travel Medicine
  13. Pereira RT, Malone CM, Flaherty GT
    J Travel Med, 2018 06 01;25(1).
    PMID: 29924349 DOI: 10.1093/jtm/tay042
    Background: Medical tourism has witnessed significant growth in recent years. The emerging trend towards international travel for cosmetic surgical interventions has not previously been reviewed. The current review aims to critically address the scale and impact of cosmetic surgical tourism and to delineate the complication profile of this form of medical tourism.

    Methods: Articles published in the English language on the PubMed database that were relevant to surgical tourism and the complications of elective surgical procedures abroad were examined. Reference lists of articles identified were further scrutinized. The search terms used included combinations of 'surgery abroad', 'cosmetic surgery abroad', 'cosmetic surgery tourism', 'cosmetic surgery complications' and 'aesthetic tourism'.

    Results: This article critically reviews the epidemiology of cosmetic surgical tourism and its associated economic factors. Surgical complications of selected procedures, including perioperative complications, are described. The implications for travel medicine practice are considered and recommendations for further research are proposed.

    Conclusion: This narrative literature review focuses on the issues affecting travellers who obtain cosmetic surgical treatment overseas. There is a lack of focus in the travel medicine literature on the non-surgery-related morbidity of this special group of travellers. Original research exploring the motivation and pre-travel preparation, including the psychological counselling, of cosmetic surgical tourists is indicated.

    Matched MeSH terms: Travel Medicine
  14. Amicizia D, Zangrillo F, Lai PL, Iovine M, Panatto D
    J Prev Med Hyg, 2018 Mar;59(1):E99-E107.
    PMID: 29938245 DOI: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2018.59.1.962
    Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a vector-borne disease caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). JEV is transmitted by mosquitoes to a wide range of vertebrate hosts, including birds and mammals. Domestic animals, especially pigs, are generally implicated as reservoirs of the virus, while humans are not part of the natural transmission cycle and cannot pass the virus to other hosts. Although JEV infection is very common in endemic areas (many countries in Asia), less than 1% of people affected develop clinical disease, and severe disease affects about 1 case per 250 JEV infections. Although rare, severe disease can be devastating; among the 30,000-50,000 global cases per year, approximately 20-30% of patients die and 30-50% of survivors develop significant neurological sequelae. JE is a significant public health problem for residents in endemic areas and may constitute a substantial risk for travelers to these areas. The epidemiology of JE and its risk to travelers have changed, and continue to evolve. The rapid economic growth of Asian countries has led to a surge in both inbound and outbound travel, making Asia the second most-visited region in the world after Europe, with 279 million international travelers in 2015. The top destination is China, followed by Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Japan, and the number of travelers is forecast to reach 535 million by 2030 (+ 4.9% per year). Because of the lack of treatment and the infeasibility of eliminating the vector, vaccination is recognized as the most efficacious means of preventing JE. The IC51 vaccine (IXIARO®) is a purified, inactivated, whole virus vaccine against JE. It is safe, well tolerated, efficacious and can be administered to children, adults and the elderly. The vaccination schedule involves administering 2 doses four weeks apart. For adults, a rapid schedule (0-7 days) is available, which could greatly enhance the feasibility of its use. Healthcare workers should inform both short- and long-term travelers of the risk of JE in each period of the year and recommend vaccination. Indeed, it has been shown that short-term travelers are also at risk, not only in rural environments, but also in cities and coastal towns, especially in tourist localities where excursions to country areas are organized.
    Matched MeSH terms: Travel Medicine
  15. Flaherty GT, Leong SW, Geoghegan R
    J Travel Med, 2018 01 01;25(1).
    PMID: 30239844 DOI: 10.1093/jtm/tay085
    Matched MeSH terms: Travel Medicine
  16. Flaherty GT, Lim Yap K
    J Travel Med, 2017 Sep 01;24(5).
    PMID: 28498914 DOI: 10.1093/jtm/tax024
    Evidence-based travel medicine requires that research priorities reflect the wide knowledge base of this discipline. Bibliometric analysis of articles published in Journal of Travel Medicine yielded the following results: epidemiology (6%, n = 105); immunology/vaccinology (8.5%, n = 148); pre-travel assessment/consultation (30.5%, n = 533); diseases contracted during travel (48.3%, n = 843); other clinical conditions associated with travel (6.8%, n = 119); post-travel assessment (5.2%, n = 91) and administrative and general travel medicine issues (6%, n = 105).
    Matched MeSH terms: Travel Medicine/statistics & numerical data*
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