Source-The Toronto Star: http://www.thestar.com/thestar/edito...EW02d_FLY.html

Cramped airplane seating blamed for traveller's death

LONDON (Reuters) - A bride-to-be collapsed and died from a condition known as ``economy-class syndrome'' just minutes after leaving a flight from Australia to London, British newspapers reported today.

Emma Christofferson, 28, developed deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot associated with long-distance flights, while travelling home to London from the Olympic Games on a Qantas flight.

The sales assistant complained of feeling unwell on the last part of the 19,310-kilometre trip and collapsed in the Heathrow airport arrivals hall. She
died 10 days ago, before reaching hospital.

DVT is frequently caused by long periods spent in cramped conditions. Tightly packed seating - as in economy class - can restrict movement and trigger a clot which can work its way into the heart or lungs.

Somehow I doubt I'll ever be able to get this addressed via application of the Canadian federal Occupational Health and Safety laws.

Remember the problems Dan Quayle had during his extended travels as he campaigned- and he was in pretty godd shape too!

See also:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum94/HTML/000977.html

Also see this article "Seats of Discontent" by the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/...000/986549.stm

I like the picture of Y seats/sardines... I must say; I had no idea the problem is so widespread

They fail to mention the simple (and most economical) solution to this problem: get up and walk around every 2 hours. If you can't do that, at least flex and extend your calf muscles every few minutes.

I alway take an asprin before flights and long car journeys. I believe that it helps reduce the risk of DVT. Doc, care to comment?

Mvic;

I'm not doc, nor do I play him on TV, but I'll comment anyway. The current research says aspirin is the best (not to mention cheapest!) prophylaxis. There was an article in Lancet, I think, last year, that was excerpted in many more consumer-oriented journals.

Aspirin (the real stuff) and periodic exercise are critical in the prevention of DVT.

So take an aspirin before you take off, and get up out of that seat!

(edited for the usual rash of typos--no pun intended!)

[This message has been edited by Kitty Hawk (edited 10-23-2000).]

Aspirin inhibits platelete aggregation and thus does assuredly inhibit clotting, as some/many of us know!

Yet, how effective it is prophyllactically with dvt- I just can't say for sure!

While the downside here seems minimal, my advice is to follow your doctors advice!

One reason why I do not is the tendency to consume alcohol while aloft! I'm trying to take care of my liver!

While taking an aspirin a day is good advice for everybody and no doubt helps to some degree, it has only been shown to decrease mortality in people with atherosclerotic disease leading to heart attacks and strokes. DVTs are different and have different risk factors including stasis (post-op, or extended travel), trauma to the vessel (ie. surgery, torn muscles, broken bones), and any type of hypercoagulable state...makes blood more prone to clot.. (cancer, estrogen use - birth control pills, and obesity).
Thus, while extended episodes of travel alone can cause DVTs, I'm wondering what other risk factors this lady had. Was she taking birth control pills, did she smoke (which increases your risk of thrombosis-blot clots 25 times if a women is taking birth control pills), and was she obese?
The only medically acceptable treatment and prophylaxis for people who are at risk or have DVTs is anticoagulation with either coumadin(warfarin) or heparin (fractionated or unfractionated), both of which have different mechanisms of action than aspirin.

Bottom line there are many things that can contribute to DVTs but you should still get up and walk around every 2-3 hours on those long haul flights! Hope this helps.

Hi CrAAzy! welcome to the nut house! and thanks for the information.

p.s. Any advice to the crowds on avoiding snake bites?

[This message has been edited by snake (edited 10-23-2000).]

Thanks!

And best advice I can give is look before you squat!

crAAzy boy: That advice is way kewl - but can we get any of that fancy stuff on a plane[?] What sort of practical precautions can one take if they are ****ed to travelling in Y?? Is the health hazard a result of the aeroplane or the person???

The April 15th issue of the Lancet did perform a meta-analysis of studies of aspirin to prevent DVT. Based on these results, you would need to treat 100 patients to prevent 1 DVT. This was in a population of patients where 50% develop DVT. Far fewer airline passengers develop DVT, and whether the slight chance of potential benefit outweighs the risk has not been determined.

While much medical advice has been given to prevent DVT, the ingestion of ASA (aspirin) has broader health implications which must be considered and risks mitigated. ASA does interfere with platlet aggregration by effectively destroying the megakeriocites. The net effect is that it will take a period of time (weeks) to resupply the bloodstream with the precursors to platlets. (assuming a 2 tablet dose of ASA BID. DVT is still quite rare and there are more important health ramifications to this drug regimine. I would highly suggest you visit your underpaid and underappreciated health care professional before imbarking on any long-term ASA usage. (for the people who live in the air)

just my $.02

I will stay with my daily dose of Vitamin C and Vitamin E in large doses. After taking them for 40 years, I see no reason to take something that doesn't enhance the body's health! Of course, it helps prevent the flu as well!