Aim: Company doctors have important tasks
in the context of business trips abroad. The
significance of primary, secondary, and the
initiation of tertiary prevention, taken care
of by occupational health physicians, will
be outlined and corresponding suggestions
made.
Method: Following description of the regulatory
framework, a sample of suspected cases
of occupational diseases will be analysed and
interpreted with respect to the available statistical
data.
Results: Over the past decade the suspected
cases of the work-related disease ”Tropical
Diseases and Typhus“ (in Germany BK 3104)
have decreased significantly. A high percentage
was acknowledged but persistent or
permanent sequelae conferring entitlement
to a compensation pension were rare. Possibly
operation-dependent any occupational
medical infection prevention is omitted to
a significant proportion. It can therefore be
assumed that recommended and necessary
vaccinations, emergency self treatment (EST)
or a chemoprophylaxis are neglected in many
cases. In terms of tropical infectious diseases
the employees primarily suffer from malaria,
amoebiasis and Dengue fever (whereas a
large number of other infections appear only
sporadically).
Conclusions: Preventive occupational medicine,
with anamnesis, examination, advisory
service, if applicable the availability of vaccinations
and chemoprophylaxis, are important
as primary prevention. EST and examination
of returning business travellers, with the
asservation of blood samples (if needed), are
measures of specific secondary prevention.
The initiation of special diagnostic investigations
regarding infectious diseases, after a
stay in risky regions and, if applicable, a suspicion
report about an occupational disease
as tertiary prevention complete the occupational
medical range of tasks.
