Travel medicine and infectious disease
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Travel Med Infect Dis · May 2008
Illness and injury to travellers on a premium expedition to Iceland.
Commercial expeditions provide an opportunity for travellers to undertake various specialised travel to more adventurous and extreme destinations in the relative security of an expeditionary group with medical cover provided by an expedition physician. Little is known about the illnesses and injuries occurring on premium expeditions. The present study was designed to investigate the prevalence of health problems suffered by travellers on a premium expedition to Iceland and the Arctic Circle. ⋯ On this premium expedition, the health problems encountered were largely similar to those reported for other expeditions. The most common problems included respiratory, gastrointestinal, dermatological conditions and musculoskeletal conditions in descending order. As well as being part of the service provided to travellers, the inclusion of an expedition physician on this premium expedition increased the independence of the travellers on this journey, yet decreased the reliance on local health services, a source which is often scarce or absent on more remote location expeditions.