Issue: IeJSME 2022 16(3)

Descriptive analysis of international deportations caused by irresponsible traveller behaviour

Authors: Ryan M Mangan, Gerard T Flaherty.

ABSTRACT

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic focused public attention on the importance of responsible
tourism. The purpose of this study was to characterise irresponsible tourist behaviour leading to deportation from the destination country.

Methods: A web-based search of media reports relating to deportations of tourists was conducted.

Results: The most common reasons for deportation were related to indecent exposure or physical damage to sacred monuments and violations of COVID-19-related national public health rules. Other incidents resulted from social media posts and breach of environmental regulations.

Conclusions: The results of this study may inform future research efforts and targeted public awareness campaigns.

Keywords: responsible travel; deportation; COVID-19; cultural sensitivity; sustainable travel

Citations: IeJSME 2022 16 (3): 07-11

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.16.3.7

Pre-travel Health Advice and Medical Services by Healthcare Professionals – A Literature Review

Author: Pei Kuan Lai

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Travel medicine is an emerging branch of medicine concerned with the well-beings of travellers before, during, and after travel. Pre-travel health advice and medical services are important to keep travellers healthy and ensure a safe and pleasant journey by minimising impact of illness and accidents.

Objective: This paper serves as a literature review paper on the pre-travel health advice seeking behaviours amongst travellers as well as the pre-travel health advice and medical services provided by the health professionals.

Methodology: An extensive online literature search using the search terms of “pre-travel”, “health advice”, “medical services”, and “health professionals” was done on electronic bibliographic databases including PubMed and Scopus supplemented by Google Scholar.

Results: Twenty original studies as retrieved from the online databases which fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in the review. Prevalence of pre-travel advice seeking behaviour is reportedly low in Malaysia (36.8% – 40.5%). Studies done amongst pharmacists in Malaysia revealed that the Malaysian
pharmacists have been actively involved in providing pre-travel health advice and medical services (76.6% – 85%). High percentages of healthcare professionals in Europe and American (68% – 94.7%) provide pre-travel advice and medical services, followed by 79.5% in Saudi and 44.7% in Qatar. The top 5 topics of health advice most frequently cited were on malaria, travel insurance, sexually transmitted disease/HIV, vaccinations and first aid kit. The average duration spent for pre-travel consultation range from 5 to 30 minutes.

Conclusion: Travellers should be educated on the importance of seeking pre-travel advice and vaccinations to raise their awareness. Healthcare practitioners should be well-trained and informed to
provide good pre-travel advice and services.

Keywords: Pre-travel, health advice, medical services, travellers.

Citations: IeJSME 2022 16 (3): 12-21

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.16.3.12

Multiple Hepatic Haemangiomas: A Case Report

Authors: S T Kew, Wei Yen Lim

ABSTRACT

A healthy 30-year-old woman underwent health screening, and was incidentally found to have a well-defined echogenic lesion in Segment VI of her liver, measuring 4.2 X 1.8cm in her ultrasound scan. She was asymptomatic, has no cutaneous lesions, nor stigmata of chronic liver disease. She has no hepatomegaly. CT scan of her abdomen found multiple liver haemangiomas, varying in size from 21 X 28mm to sub-centimeter lesions.

Diagnosis of hepatic haemangioma in this patient is based on typical appearance on contrast imaging. Their appearance is important to recognise as they do not need intervention and attempts at instrumentation for diagnosis or surgery may result in more harm than good.

Keywords: Hepatic haemangioma (HH), Benign tumour of the liver, Conventional ultrasonography (US), Computer tomography (CT).

Citations: IeJSME 2022 16 (3): 22-24

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56026/imu.16.3.22