Volta
Injuries and medical emergencies among international travellers
BACKGROUND: Tropical infectious diseases and vaccine-preventable emergencies are the mainstay of pre-travel consultations. However, non-communicable diseases, injuries and accidents that occur during travel are not emphasized enough in these settings. METHODS: We performed a narrative review based on a literature search of PubMed, Google Scholar, UpToDate, DynaMed and LiSSa and on reference textbooks and medical journals dedicated to travel, emergency and wilderness medicine. Relevant secondary references were extracted. We also aimed to discuss newer or neglected issues, such as medical tourism, Coronavirus Disease 2019, exacerbations of co-morbidities associated with international travel, insurance coverage, health care seeking abroad, medical evacuation or repatriation and tips for different types of travellers' emergency medical kits (personal, group, physician handled). RESULTS: All sources reviewed led …