Morbidity of foreign travelers in Attica, Greece: a retrospective study

Abstract

Over the last decade, travel medicine was mainly focused on the epidemiology of diseases among travelers to developing countries. However, less is known about travel-related morbidity in Europe. We evaluated the demographic and clinical characteristics of foreign travelers to Greece during a 5-year period (01/01/2005 - 31/12/2009) who sought medical services from a network of physicians performing house-call visits (SOS Doctors) in the area of Attica, Greece. Overall, 3,414 foreign travelers [children (≤18 years of age): 27%] were identified; 151 (4.4%) required transfer to a hospital. The most common clinical entities were: respiratory disorders (34%), diarrheal disease (19%), musculoskeletal (12%), dermatologic (7%), non-diarrheal gastrointestinal (6%), and genitourinary (5%) disorders. Respiratory disorders were the most frequent diagnosis during all seasons, followed by diarrheal gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal disorders. Respiratory and dental conditions were observed significantly more frequently in children. Respiratory disorders were observed significantly more frequently during winter (47%) compared to spring (36.7%), summer (30.9%), and autumn (30.5%), (p < 0.01). Despite the limitations of the retrospective methodology, our findings suggest that mild, self-limited respiratory events may be the prevalent cause for seeking primary health care during travel to Greece. Our findings may be extrapolated to other countries with similar climatic and socioeconomic status.

Morbidity and Outcomes of Foreign Travelers in Zakynthos Island, Greece: A Retrospective Study

“…Our study revealed that the disorders of the respiratory tract were the most commonly (32.7%) encountered among foreign travelers visiting Zakynthos during summer this finding is consistent with the findings of a previous study addressing the morbidity of foreign travelers visiting Attica, Greece [5]. Also, respiratory disorders were the leading causes of illness among European travelers who returned ill after a trip in Western[1] or Eastern Europe[2] in previous studies.…”

“…Respiratory disorders dominated among foreign travelers who visited Attica and called the SOS Doctors in previous studies[5], [10] and were observed more frequently in winter than the other seasons [5]. Exposure to cold has been associated with increase in the incidence of respiratory tract infections [11], [12].…”

“…The first study describing the morbidity of foreign travelers in Greece was published in 2012 and reported on travelers who accommodated in Attica and sought medical services from SOS Doctors, a network of physicians who perform house-call visits [5]. The study showed that the diseases of the respiratory tract were the most common disorders during all seasons.…”

Patient house calls in Attica and Thessaloniki, Greece (2005-2015): a model for out-of-hospital multispecialty emergency medicine

“…In previous analyses of SOS doctors’ data we described the characteristics of patients requesting home visits as well as physician practice [ 12 , 13 ]. We also described the utilization of parenteral antibiotic treatment at home in the acutely ill patients as well as their outcomes [ 14 ].…”