Healthcare Abroad & Family Travel Flashcards
what are 3 types of policies for travel insurance?
travel insurance
travel health insurance
medical evacuation insurance
what does travel insurance protect?
financial investment in a trip - lost baggage, trip cancellation (eg. due to illness)
-might not cover medical expenses abroad
what does travel health insurance and medical evacuation insurance cover?
short-term supplemental policies, cover health care costs incurred while abroad.
what are the main reasons for coverage refusal from traveling health insurance?
preexisting illness
poor documentation of expenses incurred
what are the chances of purchasing a counterfeit drugs in specific regions in Africa, Latin America, and Asia?
<30%
a …. product bears the unauthorized representatino of a registered trademark on a product identical or similar to one for which the trademark is registered
counterfeit
a …. product falsely represents the product’s idenitity, source, or both.
falsified
a … product fails to meet national specifications cited in an accepted pharmacopeia or in the manufacturer’s approved dossier
substandard
a … product has undergone chemical or physical changes due to incorrect storage conditions
degraded
what is the most common complication among medical tourists?
infection
-bloodborne infection: hep B, hep C, HIV
-bloodstream infection
-donor-derived infections
-would infections
-AB-resistant infections: CRE-carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, fungal (Candida auris) pathogens
air travel and surgery independently increase the risk of …?
blood clots (deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary emboli)
medical tourist should not fly for how many days after chest or abdominal surgery?
laser treatments or cosmetic procedures to the face, eyelids or nose?
10 days
7-10 days
what is the pressure of commercial aircraft cabin?
6000-8000 feet above sea level
what are accrediting organizations which maintain listings of accredited facilities outside of the US?
-the joint commission international
-accreditation association for ambulatory health care
At admission, if patients had an overnight stay in a health care facility outside the US within 6 months, what should be screened for?
CRE (carbapenem resistance enterobacterales)
what should be the part of pretravel assessment for pregnant traveler?
visit with an obstetric health care provider
when should pregnant people seek urgen medical attention during travel?
-contractions or premature labor
-symptoms of deep vein thrombosis (unusual leg swelling and pain in the calf or thigh)
-pulmonary embolism (unusual shortness of breath)
-dehydration, diarrhea, vomiting
-severe pelvic or abdominal pain
-symptoms of preeclampsia (eg. severe headaches, nausea and vomiting, unusual swelling, vision changes)
-prelabor rupture of the membranes
-vaginal bleeding
what are the absolute contraindications to travel during pregnancy?
-abruptio placentae
-active labor
-incompetent cervix
-premature labor
-premature rupture of membranes
-suspected ectopic pregnancy
-threatened abortion / vaginal bleeding
-toxemia, past or present
what is relative contraindications to travel during pregnancy?
Abnormal presentation
Fetal growth restriction
History of infertility
History of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy
Maternal age <15 or >35 years
Multiple gestation
Placenta previa or other placental abnormality
what is safe OTC antihistamine for pregnant people?
dimenhydrinate, meclizine
what is the caution for aspirin and anti-inflammatory agents in pregnancy?
ASA - increse the incidence of abruption
Other anti-infl - can cause premature closure of the ductus arteriosus
is Hep A and Hep B vaccine safe in pregnancy?
safety has not been determined for A; limited data of safety for B;
ACIP recommends vaccinating if at risk
is live-virus vaccine safe in pregnancy?
most live vaccines are contraindicated - MMR, live typhoid, varicella
yellow fever is the exception - pregnancy is precaution - if travel is unavoidable, and the risk for exposure outweighs the vaccination risk, it is appropriate to vaccinate –> need serologic testing after vaccination
when the person got yellow fever vaccine while pregnant, is additional dose necessary before they are at risk for YF virus exposure?
yes
if pregnant lady is exposed to measles, what should be done?
measles immune globulin (IG) within 6 days of exposure
if pregnant lady is exposed to varicella, what should be done?
IG given within 10 days
if couple came to be vaccinated with live vaccine, how long do they have to wait if wife plans to become pregnant?
4 weeks or more
is quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine ok in pregnancy and lactating?
yes
how can malaria in pregnancy be characterized by?
-heavy parasitemia, severe anemia, profound hypoglycemia, complication by cerebral malaria and acute respiratory distress syndrome
-placental sequestration of parasites might result in fetal loss due to abruption, premature labor, or miscarriage
-low birth weight, and rare congenital malaria is possible
what is the drug of choice for pregnant travelers against malaria?
chloroquine - if destination is chloroquine-sensitive
mefloquine - if chloroquine-resistant
which malaria treatment is contraindicated or not recommended during pregnancy and why?
doxycycline - contraindicated b/c teratogenic effects after 4th month of pregnancy
primaquine - infant cannot be tested for G6P dehydrogenase deficiency (risk for hemolytic anemia)
Atovaquone-proguanil not recommended - lack of data
what should pregnant lady pack in her travel health kits in addition?
antacids, antiemetic drugs, graduated compression stockings, hemorrhoid cream, vaginitis/yeast infection meds, prenatal vitamins, Rx meds
blood pressure monitor if travel will limit acceess to a health center
pregnant people should not consume water purified by ….. because of potential effects on the fetal thyroid
iodine-containing compounds
which hepatitis infections are concern for pregnant people?
Hep A - placental abruption and premature delivery
Hep E - severe disease and could result in a case-fatality rate of 15-30%; if acquired during the third trimester associated with fetal complications and fetal death
what is listeriosis and how this is a risk at pregnancy?
foodborne illness caused by bacteria Listeria monocytogenes - found in nature, in soil, groundwater, rotting vegetation and animal feces.
can cross the placenta and cause spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, or congenital or neonatal infection
what do you need to advise them about listeriosis and toxoplasmosis during pregnancy?
do not eat unpasteurized cheese and uncooked or undercooked meat products!
do you need to treat parasitic infections (helminths) during pregnancy?
no - can wait till pregnancy is over
do you need to treat protozoan intestinal infections (e.g. Cryptosporidium, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia) during pregnancy? why?
yes - cause acute gastroenteritis, severe dehydration, chronic malabsorption –> fetal growth restriction
E. histolytica can cause invasive disease, including amebic liver abscess and colitis.
what do you tell pregnant lady to prevent schistosomiasis?
don’t bath, swim, or wade in freshwater lakes, rivers, streams that can harbor the parasitic worms (schistosomes) that cause schistosomiasis.
what can you prescribe for traveller’s diarrhea if pregnant?
azithromycin or 3rd-gen cephalosporin
(no bismuth subsalicylate, no fluoroquinolones)
how is zika virus transmitted?
-bite of an infected Aedes mosquito (Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus)
-sexually
what are the symptoms of zika?
can be asymptomatic or mild
-acute onset of conjunctivitis, fever, joint pain, rash
what birth defects does Zika cause in pregnancy?
brain, eye, neurodevelopmental abnormalities
why is air quality more healthy problems during pregnancy?
ciliary clearance is slower
mucus more abundant
what do you guide pregnant lady about high elevation travel ?
don’t sleep at elevations >12,000 ft (3600m)
when you are pregnancy, upto when/what week the airlines allow you to fly?
what about cruise ship travel?
36 weeks
24 weeks