NSW: Long-haul travellers most at risk from DVT
By Kim Arlington
SYDNEY, Dec 24 AAP - Christmas holiday travellers have been warned to guard againstdeep vein thrombosis (DVT), the second most common cause of death in air travellers.
Leading vascular surgeon Professor Reginald Lord today issued a timely warning to travellers,especially those about to embark on long-haul flights, about the dangers of DVT.
DVT, in which a blood clot forms in a deep vein, can lead to pulmonary embolism withthe clot travelling through the bloodstream to the lungs.
Prof Lord, from Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital, said pulmonary embolism was the secondleading cause of death in air travellers.
There was a particular need to highlight the risks of DVT at this time of year withso many Australians travelling long-haul to Europe and America, he said.
Those most at risk were travellers on flights lasting 12 hours or more.
"The longer the flight, the more at risk you are," he told reporters today.
Prof Lord said some travellers were at greater risk than others with the elderly, pregnantwomen, those who had recently suffered a fracture or undergone surgery, or had previouslysuffered from DVT, most vulnerable.
He also discussed a recent New Zealand study which showed incidents of DVT in low-riskgroups were higher than expected.
Long-haul travellers should wear compression stockings, exercise their legs as muchas possible, avoid excessive amounts of alcohol and drink plenty of water to avoid dehydrationin a bid to minimise the risk of DVT, he said.
Prof Lord also warned travellers not to sleep for the entire flight.
"That's really the ultimate form of immobility," he said.
"In relation to DVT that's a bad practice."
Prof Lord said the symptoms of DVT usually appeared within two to three days of thejourney and included leg pain and persistent swelling, while shortness of breath was asymptom of pulmonary thrombosis.
AAP ka/nf/sek/sb
KEYWORD: DVT
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