Emergency medicine clinics of North America
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Traveler's diarrhea occurs with considerable frequency in individuals traveling to underdeveloped countries. It is acquired through the ingestion of fecally contaminated food and water. ⋯ Patient education is an important element in the management of traveler's diarrhea; the well-informed traveler can manage most cases empirically without sophisticated medical technology. The presence of fever, bloody stool, abdominal pain, or profound dehydration indicates a more severe infection requiring medical attention.
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There are physiologic and logistic concerns involved in caring for patients with inflight emergencies. This article presents the physiologic changes that occur at altitude, the types of medical problems that can be encountered, and management strategies. An overview is also presented of the medical training of flight attendants and the medical equipment that is available on commercial aircraft.