BOOK REVIEW
                           The Traveller’s Pocket Medical Guide
                           and International Certificate of Vaccination
                           Jonathan Cohen*
                                This passport-sized fourth edition of The Traveller’s             briefly of issues in this chapter, such as marine stingers,
                           Pocket Medical Guide and International Certificate of Vaccination      sharks and other similar biting or stinging animals.“When
                           contains a table of contents,22 chapters of travel health              not to travel” is another important subject discussed.                           Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jtm/article/10/4/251/1840272 by guest on 05 October 2022
                           advice, three tables and one box, as well as an official               The chapter on first aid reinforces the importance of
                           vaccination record, a medical history proforma, and a                  travelers having a working knowledge of this topic,given
                           medical certificate template. There are no illustrations,              that the life they save may be their own or that of their
                           maps,bibliography or index,which are precluded by the                  children.There remain some important additional general
                           compact size of this guide.Targeting overseas travelers,               principles, which could be added after consulting a
                           this publication would most usefully be provided to                    contemporary first aid reference, such as that provided
                           travelers by their travel health adviser as an educational             by St John Ambulance Australia.For example,an expanded
                           aid to the provision of travel health advice and to serve              acronym now widely in use is “DRABC”,with the “D”
                           as a record for travelers’ medical history, medications/               and the “R”standing for check for danger and check for
                           traveler’s medical kit and vaccinations. The guide has                 response respectively. The final chapters provide an
                           a durable yellow vinyl cover, which will ensure that it                essential medication guide by symptom,with reference
                           will survive quite a few trips.Clinicians and postgraduate             to the use of medications in the traveler’s medical kit,the
                           students, especially those new to the area of travel                   medical history and antimalarial medications.There is also
                           medicine,will also find it useful in helping to build the              a standard vaccination record,including provision for a
                           scope and content of their health advice to travelers.                 yellow fever vaccination certificate. The International
                                The book’s organization is generally logical, and                 Certificate of Vaccination provided is similar to the
                           it is easy to read. The first two chapters cover general               standard one supplied by the World Health Organization.
                           aspects of pretravel health advice,and travelers’medical                    There is a useful four-page table, which compares
                           kits.There is some very useful optometric advice given                 the effects of various diseases and adverse effects of vaccines
                           here for travelers, which can be easily overlooked,such                commonly used to protect against these diseases.
                           as the dental check-up. Subsequent chapters deal with                       A medical certificate template is provided, which,
                           common travelers’ diseases and conditions, such as                     together with a completed medical history proforma and
                           gastrointestinal infections,sexually transmitted infections,           official vaccination record,almost obviates the need for
                           hepatitis,malaria and other vector-borne diseases,animal               a formal doctor’s letter.The trade names and availability
                           bites,jet lag,and acute mountain sickness.There are also               of some medications listed on this certificate may vary
                           chapters on traveling with diabetes and traveling with                 from what is available in countries outside the Australian
                           children, as well as others who may be in special risk                 region;however,the certificate could easily be modified
                           groups, such as pregnant travelers. Not surprisingly,                  on an individual practice basis.The only suggestion that
                           a chapter has been added on “deep vein thrombosis”.A                   could be made for this template is to include check
                           chapter on swimming relates primarily to the prevention                columns for various trips,in the event the medications
                           of schistosomiasis,so it might be useful to make mention               change,and an area for possible revalidation of the medical
                                                                                                  certificate for prescription and pharmacy medication.
                                                                                                  Alternatively,spare medication certificate pages could be
                           *4th edn, 52 pp, paperback, ISBN 0-9585 199-0-0.                       supplied to the purchaser.
                           The Travel Clinic, Melbourne, Australia, 2002 (see                          The Traveller’s Pocket Medical Guide and International
                           http://www.travelclinic.com.au)                                        Certificate of Vaccination has evolved, expanded and has
                                                                                                  beenregularly updated with successive editions.Further
                           Reviewed by: Peter A Leggat, FAFPHM, FACTM, FFTM,                      information could still be inserted on general safety tips
                           Associate Professor, School of Public Health and Tropical              and safety nets,such as travel insurance and finding medical
                           Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland                assistance abroad,as this information may not be available
                           4811, Australia.                                                       elsewhere.It is an excellent publication and highly recom-
                           J Travel Med 2003; 10:251.                                             mended traveler’s resource.
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