Tourist class syndrome

2001/10/01 Agirre, Jabier - Medikua eta OEEko kidea Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna

What is the tourist class syndrome?

When traveling by plane, environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, available space and atmospheric pressure are different from those that are given at ground level. In fact, the most modern aircraft are not usually pressured at sea level, so the pressure in commercial flight is similar to that which is at a height of between 1,500-2,500 meters.

On the other hand, the paralysis of travelers and the relative narrowness of seats can cause a thrombosis of deep veins (SZT), known as "tourist class syndrome". This vascular accident was first described in medical literature in the prestigious journal The Lancet in 1908.

The case of Emma Christofferson, a 28-year-old British girl, who has recently raised enough powders in all newspapers. In October last year he occupied the land at Heathrow Airport in London, after more than 20 hours of flight from Australia. While waiting for his luggage, he suffered a collapse and died.

A thrombus or clot formed in a vein of his legs was released from the wall and reached through the circulation to the lungs, where he was stuck, unable to advance backwards, creating an embolism that caused death. This terrible accident aroused the attention of the media and began to investigate deaths in English hospitals, near Heathrow airport, in circumstances similar to those of this young man. STS (deep vein thrombosis) was found to be more frequent than expected (twelve annual cases have been recorded in some hospitals).

What is deep vein thrombosis?

Cases of deep vein thrombosis are forty times more frequent after long flights. However, most of these blood clots or thrombus are small and, in most cases, without consequences.

STS is the formation of thrombus or blood clots in the venous net of our body, especially in the deepest veins of the lower extremities that are found in the lower part of the twins. Often these thrombi can be released from the wall and, following the venous pathway, they can reach the heart or lungs — pulmonary thrombo-embolism — which greatly aggravates the process.

Because the blood that reaches the lower extremities has to resume the ascending path to go back, through the venous net, to the heart and lungs. And that "return" is often prevented by the very force of gravity, for example, if it remains long standing or even sitting. It does not occur when lying or sitting, but with legs up.

So far what we know today. From there things are not so clear. We know that not moving, longer and worse still, can cause STS, but without other tougher tests, it cannot be claimed that traveling by plane poses a higher risk of immobilization than in other modes of transport.

Where is the risk?

According to the report published last May by the prestigious magazine The Lancet, one in 10 passengers on long-haul flights could suffer from thrombosis. The study, led by John São Middlesex and the hospital specialist, provides data on the connection between long-haul flights and codulle formation. According to the researchers, cases of deep vein thrombosis are forty times more frequent after long flights. However, it must be said that most of these blood clots or thrombus are small and, without any effect, dissolve themselves, according to experts.

In any case, this type of circulatory problems affect more people with greater sensitivity for the development of blood diseases, cancer patients, pregnant women, those who have chronic venous insufficiency or are receiving certain hormonal treatments (oral contraceptives, estrogens...), who have recently undergone surgery or polytraumatisms, etc.

Other researchers believe that chronic, obese, diabetic smokers with uncontrolled hypertension or even plaster are people at risk.

What can be done against thrombosis?

In addition to the recommendations of airlines, researchers and experts have made other proposals. Below are two of them.

• A former pilot of the airline British Airways presented in London an invention called Airogym to combat thrombosis that means maintaining the same position during long flights. It is an artiluge like carpet, which the traveler must place under his foot (after removing the shoes, of course), and the movements of contact with this carpet will favor the circulation of the blood to avoid the formation of blood clots.
• 

  Airlines seek resources to combat tourist class syndrome.
  On the other hand, three Colombian scientists designed a kind of marker of steps that is applied in the ankles. The device works by electrodes and, by stimulating the circulatory system, prevents the formation or formation of coacids. The inventors were engineer Jorge Reynolds (who had already worked on the markers of the heart and the investigation of the sounds emitted by the whales) and surgeons Jorge Hernando Ulloa Herrera and Jorge Ulloa Domínguez.

However, I have not made long or short flights for a long time. Therefore, dear reader, if you tell us your experience, we would be delighted to read your comments. A greeting and enjoy the chosen flight!