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Risk of Blood Clots during Air Travel

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23 Jan
Jan , 23 , 2019 Healthsoul

Almost half a billion fly long haul flights and some of them have serious health problems. So, it is not uncommon for Inflight Medical emergencies to occur. One of the medical problems seen on flights is Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).

What is DVT?

Deep Vein Thrombosis results from the formation of abnormal blood clots in the leg veins. Sometimes the clot can break off from leg veins and travel to lungs resulting in Pulmonary Embolism. DVT can be caused by events which either lead to prolonged immobilization of a limb or an increase in the tendency of the blood to coagulate. Individuals with DVT may have complained of pain, redness, swelling and a mild increase in temperature in the affected limb. DVT in the calf may lead to an experience of a cramp in the leg which intensifies over time. Many patients though have no complaints and are asymptomatic.

Risk of DVT during air travel

Prolonged sitting during flights can lead to decreased venous flow, systemic inflammation, and platelet activation, which explains the association between air travel and venous thromboembolic disorders. A direct relationship between VTE incidence and long-distance flights has been documented. The risk for DVT is 3-12% in a long-haul flight.(flights more than 4 hours)

Passengers may or may not have any symptoms from DVT. Some may develop symptoms many days after air travel, but most develop symptoms within 4 days. The risk of asymptomatic DVT is up to 10% in passengers on flights of long duration.

The risk of DVT not only depends on flight duration but also on individual risk factors of the passengers’ like recent surgery, previous blood clots, Family history of blood clots, cancer, medications etc.  According to one study, The risk of DVT is 1.6% in low-risk subjects and 5% in high-risk subjects. Another study suggested that 72% of passengers developing DVT had at least one risk factor prior to the initiation of air travel.

Risk of Pulmonary Embolism (PE)

Some cases a clot can break off from the leg and travel to the lungs resulting in disruption of the blood supply to the lungs. Pulmonary embolism results in damage of lung tissue causing chest pain, shortness of breath or dizziness. The studies have demonstrated that the occurrence of  Pulmonary Embolism (PE) is extremely low on short flights. But there is significantly increased risk when the distance traveled is more than 5,000 miles (1.5 PE per million passengers) or time of flight is more than 8h duration (2.57 PE per million passengers).

 

PREVENTION OF DVT DURING AIR TRAVEL

  • Drink Plenty of water.
  • Get up and walk during long haul flights.
  • Use of Knee compression stockings with ankle pressures of 14–30 mmHg
  • Some very high-risk passengers with recent surgery may be recommended blood thinners by their doctors.
  • Routine use of blood thinners in all passengers is not recommended. You must consult your doctor about your risk before taking a long flight or multiple flights.

Reference:

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