To think otherwise would be to decide not to pull a child out of the way of a speeding car for fear of injuring the child’s arm. Although laws and attitudes toward this issue may differ between countries, Pattenden’s paper highlights the fact that it may be time to actively investigate this problem and attempt to establish standards of care that would ensure that expedition medical kits are safely carried along on expeditions. The authors state they

have no conflicts of interest to declare. “
“The number of people, both adults and children, traveling abroad, is on the rise. Some seek counseling at travel medicine centers before departure. A prospective study was conducted among children <16 years visiting a travel medicine center in Marseille, France, from February 2010 to February 2011. Parents PI3K inhibitor were contacted by telephone 4 weeks after their return, and asked about compliance with pre-travel advice. One hundred sixty-seven children were evaluated GSK2118436 molecular weight after their trip. Compliance with immunizations, malaria chemoprophylaxis, and food-borne disease prevention was 71, 66, and 31%, respectively. Compliance with malaria chemoprophylaxis varied significantly with destination, and was higher for African destinations. Significant features associated with poor compliance with chemoprophylaxis were a trip to Asia or the Indian Ocean, age <5 years, and a monoparental family. Compliance with prevention of food- and

water-borne diseases was higher in children < 2 years of age. A ≥80% compliance with pre-travel counseling in children traveling overseas was achieved only for drinking bottled water, using repellents, a routine vaccine update, and yellow fever immunization. In France, it is estimated that half a million children travel to the tropics annually.[1] Their main purpose of travel is tourism, but some of them are visiting friends and relatives MYO10 (VFR) abroad with their caregivers.[2] Travel medicine centers provide authentic information[3, 4] and health education to families regarding travel-related risks and their

preventive measures. Compliance with pre-travel advice has never been well evaluated in families with children. This 1-year prospective study, conducted in a travel medicine center in southern France, aimed to report pediatric data on compliance with the prophylactic measures. The study took place in the Marseille Travel Medicine Center located in a tertiary university hospital in southern France (CHU Nord, Marseille) from February 2010 to February 2011. It was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Marseille Faculty of Medicine. During the stated period, the center counseled more than 3,800 travelers. Families with children under 16 years of age seeking advice before a journey to the tropics were invited to take part in the study. “Tropics” included sub-Saharan Africa and Indian Ocean islands, Southeast Asia and India, and Central and South America.