[11] These findings are reflective of the high burden of fatal RTIs in the LMICs of the world (Table 1). A larger proportion of RTI deaths are also found to occur outside hospitals indicating severe injuries or limited access to health facilities and emergency medical services.[5] For example, Tonellato and colleagues found a higher proportion of injury deaths among US citizens abroad compared to injury deaths among US citizens within the country; they also found that US citizens abroad had

a higher mortality rate from RTIs compared to local residents.[11] Similar findings Protein Tyrosine Kinase inhibitor are also reported from sites most frequented by tourists where RTI rates were higher in travelers compared to local residents.[12] Thus, travelers do not share the same risk of RTIs either with local residents or citizens of their country of origin but in fact have a higher risk of RTIs. Characterizing those travelers at risk of RTIs is challenging because of lack of data. However, gender is an issue

and males are more affected.[4] This observation is also consistent with data on global and regional patterns of RTIs as well.[10] These trends are not found only in tourists but international business travelers have also reported increased risk of RTIs abroad. A survey conducted Selleck MK0683 among employees of the World Bank Group reported an incidence of 1 near road-traffic crash per 15 travel missions and 1 road-crash per 175 travel missions.[13] These rates reflected a much higher risk of RTIs for World Bank employees compared to other diseases. Of course, behind these numbers are real stories of aspiring young individuals like Aron

Sobel, a US medical student who lost his life, along with 22 other passengers while traveling on a bus in Turkey.[14] His story became the inspiration for establishing the Association for Safe International Road Travel (www.asirt.org). The human toll of such events during travel is immeasurable—lives lost, families affected, and societies deprived of professionals. With more and more young individuals exploring the world through traveling, studying, volunteering, or researching outside their home countries, it is imperative that they are protected from all travel-related harms including injuries. One important strategy for protection is pre-travel consultation, which can play an important Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase role in injury prevention. A pre-travel consultation is expected to include an assessment to identify potential risks at the travel site and from travel itself; risk communication aimed at discussing the risks identified during assessment; and risk management through immunizations, prophylactic medications, and health education.[2] Health education is an essential but often neglected component of pre-travel consultation; providers tend to focus more on prevention of infectious diseases through vaccination and administration of prophylactic medications.