open access
Vol 68, No 4 (2017)
Review article
Submitted: 2017-10-08
Accepted: 2017-12-11
Published online: 2017-12-22
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Immunocompromised travellers
Katarzyna Wasilczuk1, Krzysztof Korzeniewski2
Affiliations- Students’ Scientific Circle of Travel Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Epidemiology and Tropical Medicine, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
open access
Vol 68, No 4 (2017)
TROPICAL MEDICINE Review article
Submitted: 2017-10-08
Accepted: 2017-12-11
Published online: 2017-12-22
Abstract
Given a better quality of life and extended life expectancy in patients with immune suppression, the number of immunocompromised travellers is constantly growing. The aim of the article is to discuss travel-related health problems in immunocompromised patients, their most common destinations and reasons to travel, as well as complications associated with travel to regions with harsh environmental conditions. The article focuses on selected groups of immunocompromised travellers (ICTs), i.e., cancer patients, transplant patients receiving immunosuppressant agents, splenectomised patients and HIV-infected individuals. The most common infections and complications, including traveller’s diarrhoea, vector-borne diseases (yellow fever, malaria, leishmaniasis, dengue, chikungunya), respiratory infections (including tuberculosis), and dermatoses were taken into account. Preventive measures dedicated to ICTs (pre-travel consultation, vaccinations, malaria chemoprophylaxis, prevention during travelling) have been also characterised.
Abstract
Given a better quality of life and extended life expectancy in patients with immune suppression, the number of immunocompromised travellers is constantly growing. The aim of the article is to discuss travel-related health problems in immunocompromised patients, their most common destinations and reasons to travel, as well as complications associated with travel to regions with harsh environmental conditions. The article focuses on selected groups of immunocompromised travellers (ICTs), i.e., cancer patients, transplant patients receiving immunosuppressant agents, splenectomised patients and HIV-infected individuals. The most common infections and complications, including traveller’s diarrhoea, vector-borne diseases (yellow fever, malaria, leishmaniasis, dengue, chikungunya), respiratory infections (including tuberculosis), and dermatoses were taken into account. Preventive measures dedicated to ICTs (pre-travel consultation, vaccinations, malaria chemoprophylaxis, prevention during travelling) have been also characterised.
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Keywords
immunocompromised patients, travelling, tropics
About this articleTitle
Immunocompromised travellers
Journal
Issue
Article type
Review article
Pages
229-237
Published online
2017-12-22
Page views
2733
Article views/downloads
2211
DOI
10.5603/IMH.2017.0041
Pubmed
Bibliographic record
IMH 2017;68(4):229-237.
Keywords
immunocompromised patients
travelling
tropics
Authors
Katarzyna Wasilczuk
Krzysztof Korzeniewski
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