BMJ 2001;322:188 ( 27 January )

Editorials

The risk of venous thromboembolism from air travel

The evidence is only circumstantial

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

There has recently been increased publicity on the risk of venous thromboembolism after long haul aeroplane flights.1 This was generated by the death of a 27 year old woman from a pulmonary embolism immediately after she disembarked from a flight from Australia to London.2 So far there is only circumstantial,1 but no epidemiological, evidence connecting air travel with venous thrombosis.

Homans first reported venous thrombosis related to air travel in a 54 year old doctor who developed a deep vein thrombosis after a 14 hour flight.3 This condition was first termed economy class syndrome by Symington and Stack.4 Venous stasis, caused by prolonged sitting in the "coach" position in a cramped aeroplane, was considered to be the main causal factor. Similar conditions to air travel, such as sitting for many hours in air raid shelters in London during the Blitz, were associated with a sixfold rise in sudden death from pulmonary embolism.5 A . . . [Full text of this article]
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to StumbleUpon StumbleUpon   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Article

Air travel and risk of venous thromboembolism
P C Malone and Ronald M Davis
BMJ 2001 322: 1183. [Extract] [Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Leibson, C. L., Petterson, T. M., Bailey, K. R., Melton, L. J. III, Heit, J. A. (2008). Risk Factors for Venous Thromboembolism in Nursing Home Residents. Mayo Clin Proc. 83: 151-157 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Gajic, O., Warner, D. O., Decker, P. A., Rana, R., Bourke, D. L., Sprung, J. (2005). Long-Haul Air Travel Before Major Surgery: A Prescription for Thromboembolism?. Mayo Clin Proc. 80: 728-731 [Abstract]  
  • Gajic, O., Sprung, J., Hall, B. A., Lightner, D. J. (2004). Fatal Acute Pulmonary Embolism in a Patient with Pelvic Lipomatosis After Surgery Performed After Transatlantic Airplane Travel. Anesth. Analg. 99: 1032-1034 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Perez-Rodriguez, E., Jimenez, D., Diaz, G., Perez-Walton, I., Luque, M., Guillen, C., Manas, E., Yusen, R. D. (2003). Incidence of Air Travel-Related Pulmonary Embolism at the Madrid-Barajas Airport. Arch Intern Med 163: 2766-2770 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Cesarone, M. R., Belcaro, G., Geroulakos, G., Griffin, M., Ricci, A., Brandolini, R., Pellegrini, L., Dugall, M., Ippolito, E., Candiani, C., Simeone, E., Errichi, B. M., Di Renzo, A. (2003). Flight Microangiopathy on Long-Haul Flights: Prevention of Edema and Microcirculation Alterations with Venoruton. CLIN APPL THROMB HEMOST 9: 109-114 [Abstract]  
  • Cesarone, M. R., Belcaro, G., Brandolini, R., Di Renzo, A., Bavera, P., Dugall, M., Simeone, E., Acerbi, G., Ippolito, E., Winford, M., Candiani, C., Golden, G., Ricci, A., Stuard, S. (2003). The LONFLIT4-Venoruton Study: A Randomized Trial - Prophylaxis of Flight-Edema in Venous Patients. ANGIOLOGY 54: 137-142 [Abstract]  
  • Cesarone, M. R., Belcaro, G., Errichi, B. M., Nicolaides, A. N., Geroulakos, G., Ippolito, E., Winford, M., Lennox, A., Pellegrini, L., Myers, K. A., Ricci, A., Hans, C., Simeone, E., Bavera, P., Dugall, M., Moia, M., Stuard, S. (2003). The LONFLIT4-Concorde Deep Venous Thrombosis and Edema Study: Prevention with Travel Stockings. ANGIOLOGY 54: 143-154 [Abstract]  
  • Cesarone, M. R., Belcaro, G., Nicolaides, A. N., Geroulakos, G., Lennox, A., Myers, K. A., Moia, M., Ricci, A., Brandolini, R., Ramaswami, G., Bavera, P., Dugall, M., Ippolito, E., Winford, M. (2003). The LONFLIT4-Concorde - Sigvaris Traveno Stockings in Long Flights (EcoTraS) Study: A Randomized Trial. ANGIOLOGY 54: 1-9 [Abstract]  
  • Belcaro, G., Cesarone, M. R., Nicolaides, A. N., Geroulakos, G., Acerbi, G., Candiani, C., Griffin, M., Bavera, P., Dugall, M., Brandolini, R., Renzo, A. D., Ricci, A., Ippolito, E., Winford, M., Golden, G. (2003). The LONFLIT4-VENORUTON Study A Randomized Trial Prophylaxis of Flight-Edema in Normal Subjects. CLIN APPL THROMB HEMOST 9: 19-23 [Abstract]  
  • Belcaro, G., Cesarone, M. R., Shah, S. S. G., Nicolaides, A. N., Geroulakos, G., Ippolito, E., Winford, M., Lennox, A., Pellegrini, L., Brandolini, R., Myers, K. A., Simeone, E., Bavera, P., Dugall, M., Di Renzo, A., Moia, M. (2002). Prevention of Edema, Flight Microangiopathy and Venous Thrombosis in Long Flights with Elastic Stockings. A Randomized Trial: The LONFLIT 4 Concorde Edema-SSL Study. ANGIOLOGY 53: 635-645 [Abstract]  
  • Zuckerman, J. N (2002). Recent developments: Travel medicine. BMJ 325: 260-264 [Full text]  
  • Cesarone, M. R., Belcaro, G., Nicolaides, A. N., Incandela, L., De Sanctis, M. T., Geroulakos, G., Lennox, A., Myers, K. A., Moia, M., Ippolito, E., Winford, M. (2002). Venous Thrombosis from Air Travel: The LONFLIT3 Study: Prevention with Aspirin vs Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin (LMWH) in High-Risk Subjects: A Randomized Trial. ANGIOLOGY 53: 1-6 [Abstract]  
  • Lapostolle, F., Surget, V., Borron, S. W., Desmaizieres, M., Sordelet, D., Lapandry, C., Cupa, M., Adnet, F. (2001). Severe Pulmonary Embolism Associated with Air Travel. NEJM 345: 779-783 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Ansell, J. E. (2001). Air Travel and Venous Thromboembolism -- Is the Evidence In?. NEJM 345: 828-829 [Full text]  
  • Belcaro, G., Geroulakos, G., Nicolaides, A. N., Myers, K. A., Winford, M. (2001). Venous Thromboembolism from Air Travel: The LONFLIT Study. ANGIOLOGY 52: 369-374 [Abstract]  
  • Malone, P C, Davis, R. M (2001). Air travel and risk of venous thromboembolism. BMJ 322: 1183a-1183 [Full text]  
  • Weir, E. (2001). The weak connection between venous thromboembolism and air travel. CMAJ 164: 1037-1037 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Enjoy your flight
Vasiliy Vlassov
bmj.com, 26 Jan 2001 [Full text]
Venous Thromboembolism and Air Travel
John R Benson
bmj.com, 2 Feb 2001 [Full text]
Aspirin on long haul flights?
Sian Cheverton
bmj.com, 5 Feb 2001 [Full text]
Aspirin on long haul flights?
George Geroulakos
bmj.com, 9 Feb 2001 [Full text]
Pulmonary embolism occurs in some air travelers by chance alone
Ronald M Davis
bmj.com, 11 Feb 2001 [Full text]
Did Air Flight Lead to Early Diagnosis
Craig Martin
bmj.com, 8 May 2001 [Full text]
Pulmonary thromboembolism after air travel
Hiroshi Morio
bmj.com, 25 Sep 2001 [Full text]
The economy class syndrom and the correct way to wear graduated elastic compression stockings.
Evi Kalodiki
bmj.com, 9 Mar 2002 [Full text]
Re: Aspirin on long haul flights?
Juan-Domingo Maurellet
bmj.com, 12 Jul 2002 [Full text]
Access jobs at BMJ Careers
Whats new online at Student BMJ