Air Travel and Venous Thromboembolism — Is the Evidence In?

Abstract

Long Flights Can Cause Blood Clots, Group Warns— Boston Globe, August 30, 1997Airlines Sued over Blood Clots— The Times, London, January 8, 2001International Carriers Address New Threat: Coach-Class Syndrome — Wall Street Journal, June 27, 2001These three headlines from the general press highlight a growing concern: Is air travel, especially over long distances, associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism?In 1954, Homans¹ reported on the association between air travel and venous thromboembolism. Fourteen years earlier, Simpson² had already documented a marked increase in the monthly incidence of pulmonary embolism among persons who were . . .