Advice for long-haul air travellers with additional risk factors
Advice for all long-haul air travellers
Be comfortable in your seat
Drink plenty of water
Be sensible about alcohol, as excess leads to dehydration and immobility
Bend and straighten the legs, feet and toes every half-hour while seated
Press the balls of feet down hard on the floor or foot-rest to increase the blood flow in the legs
and reduce clotting in the vessels
Use upper body and breathing exercises to further improve circulation
Take occasional short walks (when in-flight advice suggests this is safe)
At stopovers, where possible, get off the plane and walk about
Avoid taking sleeping pills, which will increase immobility
Additional advice for travellers with additional risk factors
Travellers with:
A past or family history of VTE
Thrombophilia
Cancer, or a history of treatment for cancer
A history of major surgery, especially to the hip or knee, within the last three months
A previous stroke
should consider additional preventive measures in advance of travel,
particularly for flights of over four hours' duration, either alone or in combination:.
Low-dose aspirin (75-150 mg daily for
three days before and on day of travel)
Low molecular weight heparin on day of travel (pre-flight) and the day after at high-risk
thromboprophylaxis doses (5,000 units dalteparin. 40 mg enoxaparin or 4,500 units tinzaparin
once daily). Current airline security measures are likely to require a medical letter endorsing the
need for this, and the airline should be notified in advance of the individual's requirement to
carry a syringe and needle in their hand luggage.