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Medical officials from 16 major airlines and international
experts began two days of talks Monday to examine links
between deadly deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
and air travel.
The closed-door talks follow a
number of reported deaths in recent months that have increased
concern among travelers that clots may form in the lower limbs due to
immobility and poor blood circulation while passengers fly in cramped
seats.
If the clot travels to the lungs, heart or brain,
it can block vessels and prove fatal.
So-called "economy
class syndrome" has sparked a spate of litigation in Britain
and Australia and a threat of class action suits against airlines.
"This meeting is very important in the sense
that it's the first time that airlines of the world have got together
under the auspices of the WHO to talk about a problem that has been booming
in the last year or so.
In October, Briton Emma Christoffersen, 28, died after
collapsing in the arrival hall of London's Heathrow airport after returning
from Australia, a 12,000-mile trip.
But the jury is still out as research mounts into
the link between air travel and DVT. Some airlines have begun showing
videos about DVT to instruct passengers on ways to decrease the risk through
in-seat exercises to increase circulation.
Risk
factors for DVT include
- age
- obesity
- smoking
- pregnancy or taking hormone replacement
pills
- history of thrombosis or recent
surgery
Australian scientists plan to conduct the world's
biggest study of patients suffering DVT to examine the link with travel.
The European Commission also said last month it was
funding the largest-ever study into the effects of flying on passenger
health. The aim is to devise a minimum standard for all commercial aircraft
in Europe.
Three carriers -- British Airways, SAS and KLM -- are
taking part in the three-year study into cabin air pressure, humidity,
temperature, and blood oxygen levels of passengers and crew.
Both the International Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO) and International Air Transport Association (IATA) are attending
the Geneva talks organized by WHO's cardiovascular disease unit.
IATA, which has 274 member airlines, said last month
there was "no conclusive medical evidence"
of a link.
But it urged airlines to warn
travelers of the DVT risk when reservations are made and recommended
in-flight precautions to passengers.
Passengers should drink
enough fluids to avoid dehydration, wear loose-fitting clothing, avoid
smoking and alcoholic drinks, and do exercises while seated, it said.
World
Health Organization Geneva, Switzerland March 12, 2001
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