Overseas fatalities of United States citizen travelers: An analysis of deaths related to international travel

doi:10.1016/S0196-0644(05)82379-0

Annals of Emergency Medicine

Volume 20, Issue 6, June 1991, Pages 622-626

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0196-0644(05)82379-0 Get rights and content

Study objective:

Studies of travel-related mortality and morbidity have been limited to nonfatal events. Causes of travel-related mortality may differ significantly from morbidity and thus have different prevention strategies.

Design:

We examined the overseas fatalities of US citizen travelers for the years 1975 and 1984. The death certificates were abstracted; all deaths under age 60 and a 20% sample of deaths 60 and older were examined.

Setting and type of participants:

All overseas travel fatalities of US citizens were examined excluding those occurring in Canada.

Interventions:

None.

Results:

Cardiovascular events (including myocardial infarctions and cerebrovascular accidents) and injuries accounted for 49% and 25% of the overseas deaths of US citizen travelers, respectively. Infectious diseases other than pneumonia accounted for only 1% of the deaths. Eighty percent of injury deaths occurred outside of hospitals. Injury death rates for male travelers were greater than US age-specific death rates.

Conclusions:

Greater emphasis on the prevention of fatal events, especially those resulting from injury, must be given by physicians and other individuals and organizations who advise travelers. Further studies are needed to explore the issues of preventable injury deaths, emergency medical services, and overseas travel.

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Several studies, however, are notable for their breadth of coverage of the various mortality causes or range of period covered. Though dated, Sniezek and Smith's study (1991) of injuries and deaths among non-residents in the US and Hargarten, Baker, & Guptill's (1991) analysis of US citizens' death related to international travel are exemplars, as is MacPherson, Gushulak, & Sandh's study (2007) of deaths befalling Canadians traveling abroad, and McInnes, Williamson, & Morrison's (2002) thorough review and synthesis of available data and literature. Another less prominent but respectable study of tourist mortality and related causes comes from Croatia (Bečić et al., 2013).
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Se ha realizado un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo de los pacientes que han sufrido una lesión medular de origen traumático tras una zambullida en la comunidad autónoma canaria desde el 2000 hasta el 2014 y que ingresaron en la Unidad de Lesionados Medulares del Hospital Universitario Insular de Gran Canaria.
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Étudier les particularités épidémiologiques des décès des étrangers dans la région de Sousse en Tunisie et identifier certaines priorités de prévention.
Il s’agit d’une étude rétrospective descriptive des décès de sujets étrangers colligés au service de médecine légale de l’hôpital Farhat Hached de Sousse durant la période 2006 à 2011.
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: Presented at the First World Travel Medicine Conference in Zurich, Switzerland, April 1988. Supported in part by St Luke's Foundation and St Luke's Medical-Dental Foundation.

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Original contributionOverseas fatalities of United States citizen travelers: An analysis of deaths related to international travel

Study objective:

Design:

Setting and type of participants:

Interventions:

Results:

Conclusions:

Study of illness among Americans returning from international travel

J Infect Dis

Illness associated with travel

Travel Med Int

Infectious acquired abroad

Practitioner

Health problems after travel to developing countries

J Infect Dis

Comprehensive care of travelers

J Fam Pract

Travel and traveler's health

Aviat Space Environ Med

Recommendations for patients traveling west

J Med

Emporiatric policy and practice

JAMA

Health precautions for travelers to Mexico

S Med J

Medical advice for the international traveler

Original contribution
Overseas fatalities of United States citizen travelers: An analysis of deaths related to international travel