Travel thrombosis
| Classification according to ICD-10 | |
|---|---|
| I80.3 | Thrombosis, phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of the lower extremities, unspecified |
| X51 | Travel and passive locomotion |
| ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019) | |
Travel thrombosis or flight thrombosis is the term for a thrombosis that occurs in passengers or passengers on long bus trips. Statements about possible differences between different seat classes (which imply the terms tourist class syndrome or economy class syndrome ) cannot be made.
The factors that play a triggering role are, above all, the lack of movement (immobilization) when sitting tightly, whereby stasis can lead to a lower leg thrombosis due to the knees bent for a long time , dehydration , which is caused by insufficient fluid intake in dry air on board occurs, possibly supported by the consumption of alcohol , as well as possibly a reduced air pressure. The acquired or congenital risk of thrombosis also plays a role.
On long-haul flights (at least four hours), approximately every 4500th to 6000th passenger develops a travel thrombosis. However, this does not have to lead to complaints, but can also be "silent" ( asymptomatic ).
Prevention
To reduce the risk, it is advisable to get up and move your legs as often as possible. If this is not possible, there are also simple exercises while sitting: For example, you can stretch your feet and use them to perform circular movements or rock both legs. In addition, a lot of (non-alcoholic) fluids should be drunk and, in addition to alcohol, sedative medication such as sleeping pills or sedatives should be avoided. Other ways of reducing risk are to refrain from smoking (as long as possible before and after the flight) and to avoid clothing that is too tight.
People who are prone to thrombosis (for risk groups see there) as well as passengers without an increased risk of thrombosis are recommended to wear support stockings , which reduce the risk of thrombosis on a long-haul flight. After a doctor's consultation, prophylaxis can be carried out by administering low molecular weight heparin . It is controversial whether the often recommended intake of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) can prevent the formation of venous blood clots. According to a guideline of the AWMF from 2009, taking ASA does not make sense, but new studies such as the WARFASA and ASPIRE studies sometimes come to different results.
literature
- T. Schwarz, S. Schellong, S. Schwarz: Thrombosis risk after long-haul flights. Dtsch Arztebl 2005; 102 (25): A-1813 / B-1531 / C-1446
- PL Kesteven: Traveller's thrombosis. In: Thorax. Volume 55 Suppl 1, August 2000, pp. S32-S36, ISSN 0040-6376 . PMID 10943636 . PMC 1765948 (free full text). (Review).
- M. Clarke, S. Hopewell, E. Juszczak, A. Eisinga, M. Kjeldstrøm: Compression stockings for preventing deep vein thrombosis in airline passengers. In: Cochrane database of systematic reviews (online). Number 2, 2006, pp. CD004002, ISSN 1469-493X . doi : 10.1002 / 14651858.CD004002.pub2 . PMID 16625594 . (Review).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ S. Kuipers, SC Cannegieter, S. Middeldorp, L. Robyn, HR Büller, FR Rosendaal: The absolute risk of venous thrombosis after air travel: a cohort study of 8,755 employees of international organizations. In: PLoS medicine. Volume 4, number 9, September 2007, p. E290, ISSN 1549-1676 . doi : 10.1371 / journal.pmed.0040290 . PMID 17896862 . PMC 1989755 (free full text).
- ↑ AWMF guideline on prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism (VTE). In: awmf.org. Retrieved May 20, 2015 .
- ↑ Does ASA protect against recurrence of thrombosis? In: Medical Tribune. Retrieved July 16, 2015 .
