ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Common Travel Medicine sources generally do not provide information on the risk of methanol poisoning among travellers who visit Indonesia. The aim of this analysis was to increase knowledge on this topic through reports from bibliographic databases and Internet sources. METHODS: Case reports and studies on methanol poisoning in Indonesia were retrieved through PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar database searching. The Google search was used to retrieve the Web Media articles reporting fatal and non-fatal methanol poisoning in Indonesia, in a timeframe from 01.01.2009 to 03.03.2013. RESULTS: Three case reports of methanol poisoning involving four travellers to Indonesia were found in bibliographic databases. The media sources searching identified 14 articles published online, reporting 22 cases of methanol poisoning among travellers after consumption of local alcohol beverages. The total number of death cases was 18. Some sources report also a large number of cases among the local population. CONCLUSIONS: Methanol poisoning is likely to be an emerging public health problem in Indonesia, with an associated morbidity and mortality among travellers and local people. Some strategies can be implemented to prevent or reduce harm among travellers.
Subject(s)
Methanol/poisoning , Travel , Adolescent , Adult , Alcoholic Beverages/poisoning , Alcoholic Intoxication , Blindness/chemically induced , Female , Humans , Indonesia , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
A cross-sectional survey of Italian pediatricians and pediatric residents was carried out between 15 September and 18 October 2008 in order to evaluate their knowledge concerning the administration of vaccines to children with suspected or proved allergies. Of the 750 physicians who accepted to participate (620 pediatricians and 130 residents), 630 (84.0%; 407 females; mean age 43.5 ± 11.2 years) returned completed questionnaires: 268 primary care pediatricians (42.5%), 244 hospital pediatricians (38.8%), and 118 pediatric residents (18.7%). Knowledge concerning the vaccination of children with suspected or proved allergies was far from optimal, with the poorest knowledge being shown by the pediatric residents and no difference between the primary care and hospital pediatricians. Since pediatricians are the main parents' advisors regarding vaccinations, these results indicate an urgent need for educational programmes (especially for residents) and evidence-based guidelines concerning vaccinations in children with suspected or proved allergies.
Subject(s)
Attitude of Health Personnel , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Hypersensitivity/epidemiology , Vaccination , Adult , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Hospitals, Pediatric , Humans , Italy , Male , Medical Staff, Hospital , Middle Aged , Pediatrics , Physicians, Primary Care , Surveys and Questionnaires , Vaccination/adverse effectsABSTRACT
As a direct consequence of the current increase in international mobility, a significant increase in family travel is occurring. Protection against vaccine preventable diseases in the travelling child plays a key role both from an individual and a public health perspective: pre-travel immunisation protects travelling children and, at the same time, prevents the importation of pathogens that can spread throughout the community. Children immunisation presents unique challenges in travel medicine practice: some vaccines cannot be given below a definite age for several reasons and altering the standard schedule of routine vaccines is sometimes needed to ensure early protection. Furthermore, the risk for some travel-related diseases is higher among children. The aim of this review is to analyse the main epidemiological and clinical aspects relevant to immunisation of travelling children and to provide travel medicine practitioners with a practical approach to this issue.
Subject(s)
Immunization , Travel , Vaccines/administration & dosage , Adolescent , Child , Child, Preschool , Communicable Disease Control , Humans , Infant , Infant, NewbornABSTRACT
As a consequence of increased mobility worldwide, persons with underlying medical conditions set out on a journey more often than in the past. Among pre-existing medical conditions, some neurological diseases, including multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases, Guillain-Barré syndrome and myasthenia gravis often create management problems to travel medicine practitioners. There is some concern that these conditions could be worsened either by naturally acquired infections or by some travel medicine interventions. The aim of this review is to suggest a practical approach to each of these conditions and to examine the feasibility and the impact of travel medicine interventions on the underlying disease.
