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Keywords: AI; machine learning; robotics; virtual reality; augmented reality EN AI machine learning robotics virtual reality augmented reality 1 3 3 02/22/23 20230101 NES 230101 Research in various medical specialties has created excitement around the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to transform clinical practice by improving the accuracy and efficiency of diagnosis and prognosis. AI, machine learning, robotics, virtual reality, augmented reality. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Primary care practitioners and travel medicine physicians are primarily responsible for identifying individuals who may be unfit for overseas travel and consulting with them pre-travel. Pre-existing medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory conditions and diabetes mellitus (DM) have the potential to complicate travel journeys. A considerable percentage of travelassociated illness may be due to the decompensation of a pre-existing medical condition. This review seeks to address the challenges faced by travellers with each of these conditions, including recently updated and evidence-based practical approaches for travel with comorbidities. Methods: Sources for this review were identified through searches of PubMed/Google Scholar for materials published between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2019, using combinations of search terms. Results: The volume of literature on travelling with a pre-existing condition exploded with more than 865 associated articles indexed on the PubMed alone as of March 2020. After screening titles, abstracts and, in some cases, the full text version of indexed articles, 121 articles were deemed relevant to the subject matter of this review. Conclusion: Rational approaches to pre-planning for travel with a medical condition will contribute to the prevention of problems while in transit as well as when at the travel destination. It is imperative for health care providers to be aware of the preventative measures and current recommendations that should be taken before and during travel to protect individuals with a chronic illness. Further research and studies should be directed to protect this vulnerable group of travellers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme aerial sports are unique in terms of their high degree of lethality, life-changing injuries, and the lack of experience required by amateur participants. As society gradually re-emerges from the pandemic, we are likely to witness a renewed interest in outdoor adventure activities, including extreme aerial sports such as bungee jumping and skydiving. Sports physicians, general practitioners and travel medicine advisers should have a basic familiarity with the risks associated with bungee jumping and skydiving. Serious injury can occur during bungee jumping when the safety harness fails, the cord elasticity is miscalculated, or the cord is not properly connected to the platform. There is a predominance of ocular injuries, especially retinal haemorrhage. More severe non-fatal injuries include facet joint dislocation with quadriplegia, carotid artery dissection, and non-fatal hanging. The majority of adverse skydiving incidents occur during the landing phase and most injuries involve the lower extremities. When travelling as a skydiving tourist, individuals should carry documents explaining each aspect of the equipment and a note for security personnel. Tourists should check if their insurance covers skydiving. Future research should investigate the experiences of aerial sports tourists, in relation to the level of preparation and safety measures applied to their jumps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among international travellers. Practitioner knowledge of the effects of CVD on international travel is imperative in order to promote a healthy travel experience. This review aimed to explore the available literature on this topic. The PubMed database was accessed to source relevant literature using combinations of relevant keywords as search terms. Articles were restricted to those published in the English language through March 2019. Of 1726 article records retrieved, 73 relevant papers were examined carefully. The results of this narrative review are related to multiple aspects of CVD and travel. The pre-travel consultation should address issues regarding vaccinations, travel insurance, anticoagulation, and medical devices. Additional vaccines to be discussed include influenza, pneumococcal, and hepatitis B. Patients with CVD should be advised of the need to carry a copy of their ECG, prescription(s), and pacemaker manufacturer’s card. Knowledge of the location overseas of automated external defibrillators and awareness of health risks associated with strenuous adventure activities are important for CVD travellers. Medical tourism for patients with CVD is briefly considered. Space tourism is an emerging category of extreme international travel that requires specialized pre-travel preparation. This narrative review article highlights the gaps in the travel medicine literature in relation to CVD. A strong evidence base for most recommendations is lacking. Future scholarly efforts are warranted to facilitate more robust travel recommendations for CVD patients. No qualitative studies to date have described the experiences of international travellers with CVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Road traffic accidents are the leading cause of death in international travelers. With the growth of international travel, the number of visitors who rent a vehicle upon arrival at their destination by air or by sea is expected to increase. Jet lag is a well-recognized maladaptation to international travel across multiple time zones. Little is known about the possible influence of jet lag symptoms on the risk of road traffic collisions. Lack of awareness or failure to recognize the debilitating effects of jet lag and driving immediately after a long-haul flight put the driver at risk of a fatal road traffic accident. This article summarizes the available evidence and suggests reasonable approaches which may serve to minimize the risk of jet lag-induced driver fatigue leading to road injuries and deaths. The future research agenda should focus on routinely recording whether jet lag was a co-factor in road traffic accidents, analyzing the effectiveness of public awareness campaigns to highlight this neglected issue, and investigating the impact of jet lag on pedestrian road safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Face masks have been worn by members of the public for source control during pandemics and major outbreaks of infectious disease across the centuries. As the current coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic evolves, reluctance towards the wearing of face masks and anti-mask sentiments by some people have been encountered, with strongly held personal views and misinformation being disseminated through social media. Some of this resistance may arise from personal beliefs about the limited effectiveness of masks. Negative perceptions towards use of face masks have also been voiced by patients with pre-existing medical conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. There are concerns that face coverings may not be suitable for children or individuals with autism. Health care professionals have an obligation to be advocates for this public health intervention. Individual patients' concerns about mask use should be sensitively addressed by countering misinformation with reliable evidence from the scientific literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The upward trend of seeking bariatric surgery tourism will only grow with the globalization of medical care. We aim to describe the experiences participants of a supervised weight loss program in relation to their pursuit of bariatric tourism. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with an unbiased questionnaire were conducted to obtain a profound understanding of the current Irish bariatric surgery recruitment program and bariatric patients' perception of it. Results: Analysis of interview data yielded 5 themes. Each theme was elaborated further with selected quotes from the coding process. Participants were asked to suggest potential solutions to current bariatric surgery and tourism support concerns in Ireland. Authors' recommendations based on a literature review and the analysis of the interview transcripts are also provided. Conclusion: Any patients with morbid obesity and many years of attempted weight loss should receive a bariatric procedure to alleviate not only weight-related metabolic co-morbidities, but also the associated psychiatric burden. The currently available eligibility criteria and the lack of resources render an ideal surgical intervention inaccessible to many. Efforts must be made to scrutinize the efficacy of the existing criteria and the availability of resources. Alternatively, a bariatric tourism scheme that allows uninterrupted patient care should be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irresponsible travel has the potential to harm both the traveler and the host destination. The subject of responsible travel is a major focus of the International Society of Travel Medicine, whose Responsible Travel special interest group has been very active in providing leadership for travel medicine practitioners in relation to the protection of local travel destination communities. Healthcare professionals have a responsibility to safeguard the dual interests of travelers and their hosts. This can be achieved by drawing the traveler's attention to examples of irresponsible tourism during the pre-travel consultation. This perspective article aims to explore various aspects of irresponsible travel, including environmental damage travelers may cause; medical tourism and its impact on both the home and destination health service; voluntourism involving poorly prepared volunteers interacting with vulnerable communities in the host country; and sex tourism, including prostitution and child trafficking. Further research is needed to better understand the attitudes of travelers, travel health professionals, and the travel industry towards responsible tourism and to overcome barriers to its implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on international travellers with psychiatric disorders is limited. This perspective article highlights various travel-related aspects of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including its aetiological association with maternal migration, the difficulties faced by longterm travelers with autistic children, and the facilitation of international travel for autistic individuals by the travel industry. Depending on the severity of their condition, autistic individuals may find specific aspects of the travel experience particularly distressing. Travel medicine practitioners should be aware of the unique needs of autistic travelers when providing pre-travel health counseling. There is also an onus on the travel industry to facilitate safe and enjoyable travel and remove barriers faced by autistic travellers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]