Hospital-based care and/or death followed by repatriation in Dutch travelers: The HAZARD study.

BACKGROUND: Travelers can experience health problems while abroad. This descriptive study aimed to quantify the disease burden leading to hospital-based care, repatriation or death in Dutch travelers during a stay in a foreign country, including Europe. METHODS: Retrospective study of demographic and clinical data from three medical assistance centers (MACs) and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Dutch travelers receiving hospital-based care or who died abroad in the years 2010-2014. Diagnoses were coded according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and classified using the Global Burden of Disease tool. RESULTS: Data was available for 77,741 travelers' incidents: 75,385 medical consultations and 2,356 deaths. Four in five travelers received inpatient care, of which 36% concerned older travelers (65+) who had significantly longer hospital stays. Overall the top three diagnoses were: injuries (29%), infectious diseases (17%), and cardiovascular diseases (17%). Mental illness was reported in nearly 1.5% of the travelers. Incidence proportions were highest in South-Eastern Asia, with enteric infections as most common diagnosis. Injuries and communicable diseases occurred most often in South-Eastern Asia, while non-communicable diseases were mostly reported in South America. One in five travelers who consulted a physician was repatriated back home, mostly on a scheduled flight with or without medical escort. Cardiovascular diseases and injuries were the leading causes of death. CONCLUSIONS: Not only communicable diseases, but also injuries and chronic diseases (in particular cardiovascular diseases) frequently affected travelers' health while staying abroad and frequently necessitated hospital-based care. This should be addressed during the pre-travel counseling.