An Ounce of Prevention

How to get the most from your travel consultation

Elizabeth Manai, RN & Lisa Keogh, RN

1. To be more familiar with what occurs during a travel consultation.

2. To be better prepared for a travel consultation so that you get the most out of it.

3. To be familiar with some common problems encountered by overseas travelers and how to mitigate them.

4. To know that advice rendered and vaccines given during a travel consultation may help to minimize risk, but can never reduce risk to zero.

Goals

Itinerary Season and length of travel Mode of travel Planned activities Accomodations Risk profile Past immunizations

How to prepare for consultation

• Not a physical…a consultation.oVital signs

• Travel History• Past and present medical, surgical, psych

history• Medications – all of them• Allergies: meds, foods, substances• Tobacco and alcohol use.

What to expect during visit

• Safety• Flight related issues• Food and water safety• Insect precautions• A word about rabies…

Destination specific topics

When to seek medical care

Illness after travel

Schedule a consult 1 month in advance◦ Still worth it for last minute travel.

Come prepared

Tell all

Being a Responsible traveler

The Responsible Traveler – guide created by the ISTM, 2003. *

Food and Water Precautions – created by the HP Center for International Health, 2009*

Safe Use of Insect Repellants*

US Department of State - http://www.state.gov/travel/

CDC - http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/

http://www.upenn.edu/globalactivities/faq.html

* Handouts provided

References