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Airlines,
Health Experts
Meet on Blood Clot Risks
GENEVA
(Reuters) - 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 World Health
Organization said.
The experts
will review scientific evidence and may call for further international
research into the condition, said Greg Hartl, spokesman for the
United Nations health agency.
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,'' Jarnail Singh, chairman of Singapore Airlines' civil aviation
medical board, told Reuters.
Asked what
he expected from the meeting, Singh said ``some sort of research
proposal, to come up with a proper definition of what the problem
is, how severe it is, especially in the airlines.''
Paulo Magalhaes,
medical director of a foundation controlled by Brazilian airline
Varig, said ``it's a unique opportunity to work with other people
from the scientific community and the airlines' medical community.
It's a very big opportunity to exchange experience and information.''
Jury Still
Out
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.
John Scurr,
a British vascular surgeon who studied 200 people flying long
distances before and after their trip, is due to publish his findings
soon in the medical journal The Lancet.
British newspapers
have reported that he points to a causal link, contradicting a
study by a Dutch team last October.
Risk factors
for DVT include age, obesity, smoking, pregnancy or taking hormone
replacement pills, and a history of thrombosis or recent surgery,
according to experts.
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.
Airlines with
medical staff taking part in the Geneva talks are: Air France,
Alitalia, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Iberia,
Japan Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Qantas, South African Airways,
Singapore Airlines, Swissair, United Airlines, Varig and Virgin
Atlantic Airways.
Reference
Source 89
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