More than 2,000 people may die from flight-related deep vein thrombosis in Britain each year, a British doctor has claimed. And an Australian surgeon says hospital figures suggest that up to 400 people arrive at Sydney airport suffering from DVT every year.
Flight-related DVT can kill when blood clots formed after long periods of sitting in cramped conditions reach the heart or lungs.
The accident and emergency department closest to Heathrow鈥檚 arrivals hall has dealt with 30 air passengers who have died from DVT in the past three years, says John Belstead of Ashford Hospital in Surrey.
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But most air passengers who go on to die from DVT will develop symptoms days or weeks after flying, says Belstead.
鈥淎round one million people come into Heathrow on long haul flights each month so it may not seem much compared to the risk of crossing the road. But it is something that airlines can help to prevent,鈥� Belstead told The Daily Telegraph newspaper. One third of the patients identified by Belstead had flown from Australia to Heathrow in economy class seats.
Reginald Lord of Sydney鈥檚 St Vincent hospital says doctors there have investigated 122 cases of DVT in the past three years. He says he has been urging airlines to carry out investigations into the condition for years. More than 1,000 Australians are claiming compensation for alleged flight-related DVT.
On Tuesday, British Airways announced that it will print DVT health warnings on long-haul flight tickets. Qantas has now said it will do the same.
Drinking plenty of water, taking an aspirin before a long flight and walking as much as possible during the flight are thought to reduce the risk of developing clots.
For more on flight-related DVT, see the 13 January issue of New 杏吧原创 magazine.