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Profile and complexity of travel medicine consultations in Chile: unicentric cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:To analyse the spectrum, vaccination needs and pretravel advice complexity of travellers presenting at a travel medicine clinic in Santiago, Chile. DESIGN:Cross-sectional study. SETTING:Pretravel consultations in a private healthcare centre in Chile, an 'emerging market' country in South America. PARTICIPANTS:Travellers (n=1341) seeking pretravel advice at the Travel Medicine Program of Clínica Alemana, Santiago, from April 2016 to March 2018. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES:Demographical and travel characteristics, indications for travel vaccines and malaria prophylaxis, and complexity of travel consultations. RESULTS:Of 1341 travellers, 51% were female; the median age was 33 years. Most frequent travel reasons were tourism (67%) and business (20%). Median travel duration and time to departure were 21 days and 28 days, respectively. Most destinations were located in America (41%), followed by Asia (36%) and Africa (26%); 96% visited less developed countries, mostly in tropical regions, with risk of arboviral infections (94%) and malaria (69%). The indicated vaccine indications comprised hepatitis A (84%), yellow fever (58%), typhoid fever (51%), rabies (29%), polio (8%), Japanese encephalitis (6%) and meningococcal meningitis (5%). More than 60% of consultations were classified as complex. CONCLUSION:The studied population mostly visited less developed tropical regions, resulting in a high requirement of yellow fever and other travel-related vaccinations. Most consultations were complex and required a comprehensive knowledge and training in travel medicine.

SUBMITTER: Weitzel T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7473631 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Profile and complexity of travel medicine consultations in Chile: unicentric cross-sectional study.

Weitzel Thomas T

BMJ open 20200903 9

<h4>Objective</h4>To analyse the spectrum, vaccination needs and pretravel advice complexity of travellers presenting at a travel medicine clinic in Santiago, Chile.<h4>Design</h4>Cross-sectional study.<h4>Setting</h4>Pretravel consultations in a private healthcare centre in Chile, an 'emerging market' country in South America.<h4>Participants</h4>Travellers (n=1341) seeking pretravel advice at the Travel Medicine Program of Clínica Alemana, Santiago, from April 2016 to March 2018.<h4>Primary an ...[more]

PMID: 32883733

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Dataset Information

Profile and complexity of travel medicine consultations in Chile: unicentric cross-sectional study.

Publications

Profile and complexity of travel medicine consultations in Chile: unicentric cross-sectional study.

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