Doctors urge pre-travel checkups after passenger turns critical

Ras Al Khaimah Hospital doctors have issued a set of health guidelines concurrently with the increase in international travel this summer, urging passengers, especially those with chronic conditions, to consult their doctors before embarking on long trips.

- Adnan Okasha, Staff Reporter

This came after a recent emergency case was recorded in which a patient suffered a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lungs that can be life-threatening, days after returning from an eight-hour flight from the United Kingdom.

The patient arrived at Ras Al Khaimah Hospital’s emergency department suffering from persistent pain in the right side of his chest, which had lasted for three days.

A pulmonary CT scan confirmed an acute pulmonary embolism, after which the patient was admitted to the intensive care unit, where his condition stabilised and paved the way for his recovery. However, this case highlights the health risks associated with prolonged immobility during air travel, according to doctors.