Travelling Abroad

When Transplant Recipients Travel Abroad - by Sandra Cupples, RN DNSc

Transplantation has increased survival for thousands of patients afflicted with end-stage organ disease.  Just as important, transplantation has improved their quality of life, and many are now able to travel extensively.

If you are planning foreign travel, you may want to visit the CDC (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention) web site to get specific advice for immunosuppressed patients:
www.cdc.gov/travel

Before You Go

Click on "Destinations" and select your travel area on the map. You will also see

• some health concerns specific to the area

• recommended vaccines

• a to-do list for staying healthy, such as information on preventing malaria, advice for frequent hand washing, using bottled water, and other precautions

• a list of things to bring with you

• links to information about diseases specific to the area

By clicking on "Outbreaks" in the list of topics, you can learn about infectious diseases that have recently been reported to the CDC.

Immunizations

To learn more about travel precautions for immunosuppressed individuals select "Special Needs Travellers" and then click "Vaccine Recommendations for Travellers With Altered Immunocompetence"  Here you will find advice about inactivated (killed) vaccines and live, attenuated-virus vaccines.  Transplant recipients should not receive live, attenuated-virus vaccines (for example, oral vaccine for polio, measles vaccine) or live bacterial vaccines (for example, the BCG {bacillus Calmette-Guerin} vaccine).  More information is shown under "Vaccinations" (including instructions for ordering an International Certificate of Vaccination).

Food and Water

Immunosuppressed individuals are at risk for contracting food and waterborne diseases, especially when travelling to developing countries.  Both food and beverages may be problematic, particularly raw fruits and vegetables, raw or uncooked seafood and meat, tap water, ice cubes made from tap water, unpasturised milk and dairy products, and food and beverages available from street vendors.  Click on "Safe Food and Water" to learn about these risks and how to protect yourself.

You will also find information about traveller's diarrhea - the most common illness among travellers and particularly dangerous for transplant recipients because it causes loss of immunosuppressant medications and increases the risk of rejection.  Up to 50% of international travellers (more than 10 million people) contract travellers' diarrhea each year.  Learn to recognise the common symptoms, causes, preventative measures, and treatment.

Cruises

If you are travelling by ship, be sure to check the section on "Cruise Ships" where you can find out about the sanitation inspections of international ships.  Simply enter the name of your ship and the inspection dates of interest (most recent, all, or specific time periods).  You can also get a list of ships with unsatisfactory sanitation scores.

Plan Ahead

Before you plan an international trip, contact your transplant team for additional recommendations and specific immunisation guidelines.
    Bon voyage