Travel sickness

Question 1

How do you reduce motion sickness symptoms (6)

Answer 1

1. not eating/drinking too much before travel
2. Avoid alcohol before travel
3. Avoid focusing on close objects when travelling
4. Concentrate on the horizon
5. Plenty of fresh air
6. Avoid looking at moving objects

Question 2

What treatment is there for travel sickness (4)

Answer 2

1. Hyoscine hydrobromide - 20 mins before, every 6 hrs (drowsy)
2. Antihistamines - connarizine (stugeron)
3. acupressure bands
4. Ginger

Question 3

How is traveller’s diarrhoea treated (6)

Answer 3

1. avoid fatty/oily/spicy foods
2. avoid alcohol
3. plenty water
4. oral rehydration solutions
5. Bismuth subsalicylate (NO under 16s & aspirin allergy)
6. Loperamide (12+) - short term

Question 4

Who should be referred to the pharmacist for travellers’ diarrhoea (7)

Answer 4

1. Children and the elderly
2. Customers who have travelled to high risk areas
3. If symptoms have not improved within three days or continue to get worse
4. If symptoms do not start to improve or continue to get worse.
5. If the patient develops a fever
6. If there is blood or mucus in the stool
7. If the patient is not able to keep any fluids down because of very watery stools or repeated vomiting