Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) after air travel a small risk

An Australian study into the relationship between air travel and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), shows that there is a small but heightened risk of a person suffering from this condition following long-haul air travel.

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3 November 2003

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) after air travel a small risk

A new Australian study into the relationship of air travel to deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has shown that there is a small but heightened risk of a person suffering from this condition following long-haul air travel.

The study, undertaken by the Australian Department of Health and Ageing and funded by the Department of Transport and Regional Services, was released today by Australia's Chief Medical Officer, Professor John Horvath.

Professor Horvath said while the study found the risk of developing DVT after a long-haul flight was small, the findings provided a significant contribution to public health information and policy development.

"The project used anonymous data about passenger arrivals and hospital admissions in Western Australia and showed that the very low background risk of deep venous thrombosis after a long flight was increased during the two weeks immediately following a flight. This corresponded to a 12 per cent increase in the background risk of suffering from DVT after travelling on one long flight per year," Professor Horvath said.

"The report showed that normally healthy people were at very low risk of DVT after long haul flights, while passengers with conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer or who are pregnant would be at slightly greater risk.

"For an average middle-aged traveller, this means that a DVT would occur only once in 40,000 flights, with a death about once in 2 million flights. For young people the average risk would be much smaller."

Professor Horvath said the study concludes that although the annual risk of dying in a car accident is 100 times greater than the extra risk of dying from complications of DVT after a long-haul flight, airlines and prospective passengers should be alerted to the study's findings.

"Relevant health advice will now be distributed to the aviation and travel industries, General Practitioners, and peak medical organisations. DVT health advice will also be placed on Government websites. Full details of the study will be published in the British Medical Journal later this week," he said.

Further information on DVT and air travel can be found on the following web-sites:
http://www.health.gov.au/pubhlth/strateg/communic/factsheets/thrombosis.htm and http://www.dfat.gov.au/travel/

Media Contact: Kay McNiece 0412 132 585 or Neil Branch 0412 258 449
Office of the Chief Medical Officer