A Comparison of Pretravel Health Care, Travel-Related Exposures, and Illnesses among Pediatric and Adult U.S. Military Beneficiaries.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Ashley DP
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6493949 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:To study characteristics and preventive interventions of adult pregnant and breastfeeding travelers seeking pretravel health care in the United States.This cross-sectional study analyzed data (2009-2014) of pregnant and breastfeeding travelers seen at U.S. travel clinics participating in Global TravEpiNet. Nonpregnant, nonbreastfeeding adult female travelers of childbearing age were used for comparison. We evaluated the prescription of malaria chemoprophylaxis and antibiotics for this population as well as the administration of three travel-related vaccines: hepatitis A, typhoid, and yellow fever. We also evaluated use of tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis and influenza vaccines, because these are widely recommended in pregnancy.Of 21,138 female travelers of childbearing age in Global TravEpiNet, 170 (0.8%) were pregnant and 139 (0.7%) were breastfeeding. Many traveled to destinations endemic for mosquito-borne illnesses, including malaria (pregnant: 95%; breastfeeding: 94%), dengue (pregnant: 87%; breastfeeding: 81%), or yellow fever (pregnant: 35%; breastfeeding: 50%). Compared with nonpregnant, nonbreastfeeding adult female travelers, eligible pregnant travelers were less likely to be vaccinated against hepatitis A (28% compared with 51%, P<.001) and typhoid (35% compared with 74%, P<.001). More than 20% of eligible pregnant travelers did not receive influenza vaccination. Yellow fever vaccine was occasionally provided to pregnant and breastfeeding travelers traveling to countries entirely endemic for yellow fever (6 [20%] of 30 pregnant travelers and 18 [46%] of 39 breastfeeding travelers). Half of pregnant travelers and two thirds of breastfeeding travelers preparing to travel to malaria-holoendemic countries received a prescription for malaria prophylaxis.Most pregnant and breastfeeding travelers seen for pretravel health consultations traveled to destinations with high risk for vector-borne or other travel-related diseases. Destination-specific preventive interventions were frequently underused.
| S-EPMC5909816 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Pretravel advice should be tailored to the individual following a thorough review of his or her itinerary, planned activities, and host characteristics. In addition to vaccinations and malaria chemoprophylaxis, a pretravel consultation should include advice on regionally endemic or emerging non–vaccine-preventable infections that can cause severe illness or chronic morbidity. These include mosquito-borne infections such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika, and regionally endemic severe respiratory infections such as Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and some strains of avian influenza. Zika virus is notable given its capacity for sexual transmission and association with congenital birth defects. Preventive advice for other potentially relevant infections associated with specific exposures or activities (e.g., schistosomiasis and leptospirosis from freshwater exposure) should be provided where relevant. Understanding the epidemiology and prevention of these infections is crucial to providing a comprehensive pretravel consultation.
| S-EPMC7152013 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Measles outbreaks continue to occur in the United States and are mostly due to infections in returning travelers.To describe how providers assessed the measles immunity status of departing U.S. adult travelers seeking pretravel consultation and to assess reasons given for nonvaccination among those considered eligible to receive the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine.Observational study in U.S. pretravel clinics.24 sites associated with Global TravEpiNet (GTEN), a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded consortium.Adults (born in or after 1957) attending pretravel consultations at GTEN sites (2009 to 2014).Structured questionnaire completed by traveler and provider during pretravel consultation.40 810 adult travelers were included; providers considered 6612 (16%) to be eligible for MMR vaccine at the time of pretravel consultation. Of the MMR-eligible, 3477 (53%) were not vaccinated at the visit; of these, 1689 (48%) were not vaccinated because of traveler refusal, 966 (28%) because of provider decision, and 822 (24%) because of health systems barriers. Most MMR-eligible travelers who were not vaccinated were evaluated in the South (2262 travelers [65%]) or at nonacademic centers (1777 travelers [51%]). Nonvaccination due to traveler refusal was most frequent in the South (1432 travelers [63%]) and in nonacademic centers (1178 travelers [66%]).These estimates could underrepresent the opportunities for MMR vaccination because providers accepted verbal histories of disease and vaccination as evidence of immunity.Of U.S. adult travelers who presented for pretravel consultation at GTEN sites, 16% met criteria for MMR vaccination according to the provider's assessment, but fewer than half of these travelers were vaccinated. An increase in MMR vaccination of eligible U.S. adult travelers could reduce the likelihood of importation and transmission of measles virus.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and the Steve and Deborah Gorlin MGH Research Scholars Award.
| S-EPMC5513758 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Epigenetic profiles in peripheral blood samples from 59 subjects (in two separate U.S. Military training sessions) were screened using Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChips, session 2 (31 subjects) were also screened post-exposure to a controlled, low-level blast during a 3-day explosive breaching course. Participants had varying numbers of exposures to blast over their military careers (empirically defined as high ≥ 40, and conversely, low < 39 breaching exposures) at baseline. Daily self-reported physiological symptoms were recorded.
2020-08-24 | GSE155426 | GEO
Project description:Background and aimsForeign travel for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) carries an increased risk of travel-related morbidity. There is limited research looking specifically at travel-associated health risks and travel preparation in patients with IBD. The aims of this study are to explore the experience of travel, pretravel preparation undertaken by the patient with IBD and examine IBD healthcare professionals' (HCP) confidence at providing travel advice and the content of that advice.MethodsA survey of patients with IBD attending an outpatient clinic with a separate online survey sent to IBD HCPs recruited using regional and international network databases.ResultsA total of 132 patients with IBD, Crohn's disease (67/132, 51%), male (60/132, 45%) and 128 HCPs (IBD nurse specialist 113, 88%; IBD physician 15, 12%) completed the questionnaires. IBD affected travel to some extent in 62% (82/132) of patients, and 64% (84/132) had experienced an IBD flare, of whom 64% still travelled overseas during this time. Only 23% (31/132) travellers sought pretravel medical advice and 40% (53/132) obtained travel insurance. Forty-eight per cent of respondents on immunomodulator therapy were unaware of the need to avoid live vaccines. Twenty-seven per cent (34/128) of IBD HCPs are not confident at providing pretravel advice; vaccination advice (54%), obtaining travel insurance (61%) and healthcare abroad (78%) are the areas of most uncertainty.ConclusionsPatients do not seek adequate pretravel advice and consultations for those who do are often deficient. The majority of IBD professionals are not confident to provide comprehensive travel advice. Greater IBD-specific travel education and awareness is needed for both patients with IBD and professionals.
| S-EPMC5369456 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo inform future interventions for advising travelers.Patients and methodsWe prospectively collected data on travelers seen at the Boston Area Travel Medicine Network, a Boston area research collaboration of 5 travel medicine clinics. Data from 15,440 travelers were collected from March 1, 2008, through July 31, 2010. We compared traveler and trip characteristics and differences in demographic characteristics and travel plans across the 5 clinics, including an analysis of pretravel preparations for certain high-risk destinations.ResultsMore than half of the 15,440 travelers were female (8730 [56.5]), and 72.4% (10,528 of 14,545) were white; the median age was 34 years, and 29.4% of travelers (3077 of 10,483) were seen less than 2 weeks before their departure date. Substantial variation in racial background, purpose of travel, and destination risk existed across the 5 clinics. For example, the proportion of travelers visiting friends and relatives ranged from 7.6% (184 of 2436) to 39.0% (1029 of 2639) (18.7% [2876 of 15,360] overall), and the percentage of travelers to areas with malaria risk ranged from 23.7% (333 of 1403) to 52.0% (1306 of 2512). Although most clinics were likely to have prescribed certain vaccines for high-risk destinations (eg, yellow fever for Ghana travel), there was wide variability in influenza vaccine use for China travel.ConclusionSubstantial differences in clinic populations can occur within a single metropolitan area, highlighting why individual physicians and travel clinics need to understand the specific needs of the travelers they serve in addition to general travel medicine.
| S-EPMC6135027 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPharmacy-provided influenza vaccination services have become more prevalent among the older adult population. However, little is known about the characteristics of older adults associated with receiving the influenza vaccination at retail pharmacies and how these associated characteristics have changed.ObjectiveTo examine characteristics of older adults associated with use of retail pharmacy-provided influenza vaccination services and how the characteristics changed between 2009 and 2015.MethodsThe study used a retrospective, cross-sectional design with data from the 2009 and 2015 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey. Older adults aged 65 and older who completed a community questionnaire and received the influenza vaccination during the previous winter were identified. Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use was the conceptual framework for inclusion of the population characteristics. A multivariable log-binomial regression was performed to estimate the association between the population characteristics and use of pharmacy-provided vaccination service, and the relative change in associations between 2009 and 2015. Survey weights were applied in all analyses.ResultsThe results showed older adults who were non-Hispanic black (compared to non-Hispanic white), who did not have secondary private insurance (compared to those who had), who did not have physician office visit (compared to those who had) and who lived in non-metro area (compared to those who lived in metro area) had become more likely to use pharmacy-provided influenza vaccination services in 2015 than in 2009.ConclusionsPharmacy-provided influenza vaccination services appear to reduce access barriers for racially and socioeconomically disadvantaged older adults. Findings could help inform not only the retail pharmacies that provide vaccination services to better outreach to potential target populations but also policy makers about the disadvantaged populations that would benefit from the vaccination services provided by retail pharmacies.
| S-EPMC9860398 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundInternational travel can expose travelers to a number of health risks. Pretravel consultation (PC) helps mitigate risk and prepare travelers for health concerns that might arise. The assessment of risk, mitigation strategies, and relevance of pretravel advice is dependent on how closely travelers adhere to their planned travel itinerary and activities. We determined the proportion of returned travelers whose completed travel experiences differed from their stated travel itineraries, and identified discrepancies that significantly altered the traveler's health risk and would have required alternative counseling during their PC.MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study at the SickKids' Family Travel Clinic between October 2014 and November 2015. Returned travelers who completed a post-travel survey were included. Pretravel consultation assessments and post-trip surveys were compared to identify discrepant trip experiences.ResultsA total of 389 travelers presented to the clinic for a PC during the study period and 302 (77.6%) were enrolled. Post-travel surveys were received from 119 (39.4%) participants, representing 101 unique itineraries. The median participant age was 36.3 years (IQR 26.6-47.5) and there were 73 female travelers (61%). Most participants (n = 87,73%) were healthy as well as Canadian born (n = 84, 71%). A quarter of travelers were visiting friends and relatives (VFR) (n = 30, 25.2%). The vast majority of returned travelers (n = 109, 92%) reported discrepant trip experiences involving trip duration, countries visited, accommodations, environmental surroundings and/or activities. Almost two thirds of these individuals (n = 68, 62%) would have required alternative pretravel counseling. We did not identify any demographic or planned trip characteristics that predicted discrepant trip experiences requiring alternative pretravel counseling.ConclusionsThe majority of travelers reported discrepant trip experiences and the discrepancies often affected health risk. Therefore, clinicians should consider providing broader counselling during the PC as discrepancies from planned travel are common.
| S-EPMC8812894 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:Pretravel health advice can play a crucial role in improving both travelers' awareness about disease risk and compliance with preventive measures. General practitioners (GPs) and the internet have been reported internationally to be the main sources of health advice for travelers to non-mass gathering (MG) destinations. However, few studies have attempted to investigate the sources of health advice among travelers to MGs including the Hajj pilgrimage, and none of these studies further investigated the impact of pretravel advice on pilgrims' health behaviors. OBJECTIVE:The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the source of pretravel health advice (from GPs and specialized Hajj travel agents) on Hajj pilgrims' awareness of and compliance with health recommendations, and the incidence of Hajj-associated illnesses. METHODS:A prospective cohort study (before and during Hajj) was conducted among Australian pilgrims aged ?18 years in 2015. RESULTS:A total of 421 pilgrims participated prior to Hajj, and 391 (93%) provided follow-up data during Hajj. All participants obtained pretravel health advice from one or more sources, with Hajj travel agents (46%) and general practitioners (GPs; 40%) the most commonly reported sources. In total, 288 (74%) participants reported Hajj-related symptoms, of which 86% (248/288) were respiratory symptoms. Participants who obtained pretravel health advice from travel agents were more likely to be aware of the official Saudi recommendations (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.1, 95% CI 1.2-3.8; P=.01), receive recommended vaccines before travel (aOR 2.4, 95% CI 1.4-3.9; P=.01), use hand sanitizers including soap (aOR 2.5, 95% CI 1.1-6.1; P=.03), and wash their hands after touching an ill person during Hajj (aOR 2.9, 95% CI 1.1-7.1; P=.01), compared to those who sought advice from GPs. However, neither advice from travel agents nor GPs was associated with a lower incidence of Hajj-related illnesses. CONCLUSIONS:Advice from travel agents appeared to be accessed by more travelers than that from GPs, and was associated with an increased likelihood of positive travel health behaviors.
| S-EPMC7388052 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesPediatric severe sepsis remains a significant global health problem without new therapies despite many multicenter clinical trials. We compared children managed with severe sepsis in European and U.S. PICUs to identify geographic variation, which may improve the design of future international studies.DesignWe conducted a secondary analysis of the Sepsis PRevalence, OUtcomes, and Therapies study. Data about PICU characteristics, patient demographics, therapies, and outcomes were compared. Multivariable regression models were used to determine adjusted differences in morbidity and mortality.SettingEuropean and U.S. PICUs.PatientsChildren with severe sepsis managed in European and U.S. PICUs enrolled in the Sepsis PRevalence, OUtcomes, and Therapies study.InterventionsNone.Measurements and main resultsEuropean PICUs had fewer beds (median, 11 vs 24; p < 0.001). European patients were younger (median, 1 vs 6 yr; p < 0.001), had higher severity of illness (median Pediatric Index of Mortality-3, 5.0 vs 3.8; p = 0.02), and were more often admitted from the ward (37% vs 24%). Invasive mechanical ventilation, central venous access, and vasoactive infusions were used more frequently in European patients (85% vs 68%, p = 0.002; 91% vs 82%, p = 0.05; and 71% vs 50%; p < 0.001, respectively). Raw morbidity and mortality outcomes were worse for European compared with U.S. patients, but after adjusting for patient characteristics, there were no significant differences in mortality, multiple organ dysfunction, disability at discharge, length of stay, or ventilator/vasoactive-free days.ConclusionsChildren with severe sepsis admitted to European PICUs have higher severity of illness, are more likely to be admitted from hospital wards, and receive more intensive care therapies than in the United States. The lack of significant differences in morbidity and mortality after adjusting for patient characteristics suggests that the approach to care between regions, perhaps related to PICU bed availability, needs to be considered in the design of future international clinical trials in pediatric severe sepsis.
| S-EPMC5399539 | biostudies-literature