USC Health Now

Summer travel season is upon us. Before you leave, here are a few tips from the USC Travel Clinic for a happier, healthier trip.

June 9, 2008
by Kukla Vera

Finally, the trip of your dreams—maybe you’ll dive to coral reefs, hike through exotic forests or gaze at temple wonders. Wherever you’re going, the first step is to visit a travel clinic to ensure a safe, happy trip.

That’s the advice of Jeff Goad, Pharm.D., M.P.H., director of the USC Pharmacy International Travel Clinic, which is open to the public. “We tailor a travel guide for each traveler, ensuring that their health needs are met so that they can enjoy their trip and return home happy and healthy,” Goad says.

In operation since 2000 at USC Pharmacy locations on both the University Park and Health Sciences campuses, the Travel Clinic provides a customized service. Goad and Edith Mirzaian, Pharm.D., both pharmacists with credentials from the International Society of Travel Medicine, work under protocols with partners at USC Family Medicine and Student Health headed by Brett White, M.D., and the USC University Park Health Center directed by Lawrence Neinstein, M.D.

The travel health specialist does a complete assessment of medical conditions, itinerary, medications and trip purpose. The specialist then develops a travel health book customized to the traveler.

Unexpectedly, travelers returning to their native countries to visit family are often at high risk for travel maladies. Goad explains, “The bacteria in their guts change over time, so returning home and eating the way they used to can put them at increased risk for traveler’s diarrhea. Likewise, a traveler returning to India for a wedding must guard against malaria, while they did not have to do that as a child living there.”

Travelers need to have certain immunizations for various parts of the world and to make sure some run-of-the-mill vaccinations, like tetanus, are up to date. “It’s much easier to get the vaccine at home than having to get it while abroad because you’ve stepped on a rusty nail,” Mirzaian says. “If you need vaccinations for your destination, make an appointment at a travel clinic at least six to eight weeks prior to departure.”

Likewise, it’s easier to take medications with you rather than trying to get them at your destination. Always have both the brand and generic names of any medication you take, in case your supply is lost while traveling. This issue has become more important recently with estimates of counterfeit drugs as high as 50 percent in some countries.

As traveling to obtain lower-cost health care becomes more popular, people need to be savvy about going only to countries with an appropriate level of care. For example, Singapore and Vietnam are two countries that have emerged as destinations for Americans seeking cheaper elective surgery. “Singapore is a better choice, as it has a higher level of medical care,” Goad says.

Travelers are often guilty of falling in love with a trip and forgetting their limitations. For example, if you have persistent asthma, it might not be a good idea to visit big cities in China, where coal burning could compromise respiratory function. A travel specialist helps an excited traveler evaluate health status and, in some cases, suggests that the traveler visit a primary care physician for medical clearance before a trip.

“Before you go on a car trip, you check the brakes and change the oil, but few people think of prevention for themselves before that trip of a lifetime,” Goad says.

For more information, visit the USC Travel Clinic Web site, or talk to your doctor about finding a pharmacy travel clinic near you.

COMMON TRAVEL MALADIES

Traveler’s diarrhea can strike anytime, anywhere. Food and water precautions are key—drink only bottled water, have no ice in drinks, eat only well-cooked foods, and wash and peel fruits and vegetables. Take a prescription for an appropriate antibiotic in case traveler’s diarrhea strikes.

Insect protection includes mosquito bed netting, repellants containing 25-50 percent DEET and permethrin for clothing. Malaria, a life-threatening parasitic disease carried by mosquitoes, is transmitted in more than 100 countries around the world. Although you can take specific medications to prevent malaria, many more insect-borne diseases do not have medications or vaccinations.

Hepatitis A can infect after ingesting contaminated food and water, but can be prevented with a vaccine. If you’re traveling anywhere except Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and Western Europe, consult your travel health specialist about a Hepatitis A vaccine before you go.

Accidents are the leading cause of death in travelers 55 and over. These include motor vehicle accidents, drowning, natural disasters and train accidents. Your travel medicine specialist can provide important safety information specific to your destination and how to access medical care while abroad. Quick tip: avoid driving yourself and travel only during the day in developing countries.