Sickness pattern among air travellers: review of 735 cases at the Oman airport.

METHODS

The medical records of air travellers (passengers and crew) seeking emergency medical assistance at the Airport Emergency Clinic, Seeb International Airport, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, during a 1-yr period were analyzed to determine the sickness pattern among them.

RESULTS

The study revealed that 67% of the passengers seeking medical assistance were aged between 21 and 45 yr, and the majority (63.8%) was male. Upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), gastrointestinal (GI) conditions, injuries (sustained during journey), and otitic barotrauma/baro-otalgia accounted for more than half (51.9%) of the cases. The most common type of injury among passengers was cuts and bruises in the scalp area, but most injuries (34.7%) occurred on airport premises, not as the result of baggage falling in-flight. Lack of aerobridges is responsible for significant number of lower limb injuries to passengers. Such data highlight the need for an injury-free environment in the airports. Barotrauma was the most common cause of aircrew unfitness to continue the flight, and usually resulted in a forced layover for the concerned aircrew.

CONCLUSIONS

The data may be useful for planning and developing medical facilities at commercial airports. Need for a safe, non-injurious environment at the airports is highlighted.