Economy class syndrome

Economy class syndrome was coined in the late 1990swhen it turned out that people who has traveled long distances by aeroplanewere at an increased risk for thrombosis, especially deep venous thrombosisand its main complication, pulmonary embolism. Although all these diseases had been recognised for a long time, the possibility of litigationagainst airline companies brought them into the limelight when this "syndrome" was reported.

The mechanism for thrombosis in travellers is probably due to a combination of immobilisation, dehydrationand underlying factors. Patients with disease that predisposes them for thrombosis, such as antiphospholipid syndromeor cancer, are probably at a much greater risk.

Prevention consists of adequate hydration (drinking, abstaining from alcoholic beveragesand caffeine), moving around and calf muscle exercises. In patients with a known predisposition for thrombosis, aspirinis often prescribed, as this acts as a mild anticoagulant. Severe risk for thrombosis can prompt a physician to prescribe injections with low molecular weight heparin(LMWH), a form of prophylaxis already in common use in hospital patients.

See also

• Thrombosisnl:Economy class-syndroom

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy+class+syndrome Wikipedia article Economy class syndrome.