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Diarrhoea - prevention and advice for travellers - Management
Overview of management
- Assess the risk of traveller's diarrhoea.
- The risk is highest for people travelling to the Middle East, Africa, Central and South America, and most of Asia.
- For people at low or intermediate risk of traveller's diarrhoea:
- Provide information on food hygiene and safe drinking water if the person is travelling to locations with low standards of hygiene and sanitation.
- Offer advice regarding self-management and when to seek medical advice if they develop diarrhoea during their travels.
- For people at high risk of traveller's diarrhoea:
- Emphasize the importance of personal hygiene, as well as food hygiene and safe drinking water, to reduce the risk of traveller's diarrhoea.
- Warn the person about the risk of waterborne infection and to avoid contaminated recreational water.
- Do not routinely offer prophylactic antibiotics for prevention of traveller's diarrhoea.
- Antibiotic prophylaxis may be appropriate for certain high-risk travellers.
- Consider whether a prescription for empirical antibiotic treatment to use if affected is a more suitable alternative if prophylaxis is not indicated, and the person is travelling to particularly high-risk locations where medical assistance is poor or not available.
- For information on the choice of antibiotic, see How to prescribe antibiotics.
- Inform the person that there are no universal vaccines for traveller's diarrhoea. However, travellers to risky areas must seek advice about appropriate vaccination against other intestinal infections such as cholera, hepatitis A, and typhoid. For further information on vaccines recommended for overseas travel, and extended holidays or for people working overseas, see the CKS topic on Immunizations - travel.
- Offer advice regarding self-management and when to seek medical advice if the person develops diarrhoea during their trip.
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