Medical Travel Kits
Extra planning is essential to staying healthy on holiday. Travelling abroad requires more preparation than staying in countries with good medical facilities and a moderate climate. Many people organize their holidays carefully, whereas others only think of first aid at the last moment. A challenge for the PTA is to help the customer quickly and provide a basic first aid kit.
First of all you should ask for the customer’s destination and how long he will be away. The general rule you should convey to your customer is: the more remote the destination and the more individual the itinerary, the more important it is to consult a specialist beforehand.
Travelling Overseas
Vaccinations against various diseases are vitally important in travel medicine. They provide the traveller with the desired security against dangerous infections which under certain circumstances could trigger lifelong health problems. Certain types of vaccination and preventive medicine for example anti-malaria agents have to be administered well in advance of departure. The traveller must take this into account and make sure of having any injections in good time.
Vaccinations and anti-malaria medication both depend on which countries will be visited, for how long and the type of accommodation involved. There is a world of difference between a wilderness and a five-star hotel! To mention the most important vaccinations, protection against tetanus is necessary and hepatitis A immunisation advisable, preferably combined with hepatitis B, regardless of where in the world the customer is going.
Previous vaccinations should be checked as many need a booster after a maximum of ten years. Another thing to consider is diphtheria protection which is recommended especially in high risk areas such as the tropics, Southern and Eastern Europe, as well as the nations of the former Soviet Union.
In countries where inadequate hygiene standards are possible for example North Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, vaccination against typhoid fever should be considered. Many forms of immunisation can be combined or given simultaneously, but not all. Age limitations, illnesses and individual circumstances must be borne in mind.
Just-in-case Medicines
The usual illnesses most holidaymakers get are not serious. They can, however, cause problems if the traveller is a long way from professional care or doesn‘t speak the language. It‘s always good to have something handy to relieve headache, muscle pain, toothache or menstrual pain. Painkillers containing Acetylsalicylic acid, Paracetamol (in some countries known as Acetaminophen) or Ibuprofen should be in every first aid kit.
Jane Funke,Hannelore Gießen
Diesen Artikel finden Sie in DAS PTA MAGAZIN 06/2010 auf Seite 56 ff. oder als PDF-Download im Kasten oben rechts.
