Bruised Kidney and air travel

Hi, My husband has had a crash on his motorbike during an organised track day. He was knocked unconsious and was concussed. He also has a bruised kidney, broken rib and a broken bone in his hand, also the area around his spleen was sore but nothing showes up on ultra sound. There is now no blood in his urine and dependant on the result of a brain scan later today should be able to come home today.
We are due to travel by air to France in two weeks time. I would like to know if this is permissable and what advice is there for his health care now? He is 60 years old.
Many thanks,
Dale

[Philip D Parks, MD, MPH, MOccH, FACOEM]

Hello Dale,

I hope your husband is doing well after his recent motorcycle crash and I hope you and he are now home.

Am I correct that you will be traveling from somewhere in Europe? My assumption is because of your spelling of "organised" with a "S" instead of a "Z."

The reason why I ask is that my recommendations will depend, in part, on how long your flight will be.

And, in short, additional information will be needed (regarding the results of the CT scan and how he is doing over the next few days and week) to determine whether your husband should or should not make the trip.

Does he have any other medical problems that might complicate his recovery?

Best wishes,

~*~ Dr. Parks

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. The information presented in this posting is for patients’ education only. As always, I encourage you to see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

[daledutt]

Many thanks for your response to my question re My husbands bruised kidney. You asked how long the flight is, we will be travelling from UK to France and it will be around one and three quarters of an hour long. We will be travelling home six days later.
Also his CT scan only showed the bruising on the kidney and a broken rib with nothing else of concern. So he came home on Monday evening. He is improving all the time although still taking pain relief tablets approximately every five hours or so.
There are no other medical problems to affect his recovery.
Many thanks,
Dale.

[Philip D Parks, MD, MPH, MOccH, FACOEM]

Dear Dale:

A couple of comments:

1. During the period of time (4-6 weeks) following a traumatic injury (or surgery), persons are at risk for deep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT is a blood clot that forms in the venous system, usually of the lower extremity. The danger is that the blood clot and break loose and travel to the lungs and cause a dangerous (and potentially lethal) event called a pulmonary embolism. The signs and symptoms of DVT are lower extremity swelling, redness, and pain and the signs and symptoms of pulmonary embolism are chest pain and shortness of breath. Steps that can be made to reduce the chances of the formation of a DVT are to avoid prolonged periods of inactivity (for example, a long flight) and maintain good hydration. During flight, it is a good idea to get up and walk around every hour or so.

2. With regard to pain medications, I would encourage your husband to make every effort to discontinue use of any narcotics that were prescribed (if narcotics were prescribed). Acetaminophen (or Tylenol) is an option for pain control.

My best to you and your husband on his recovery and your up-coming travels.

~*~ Dr. Parks

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. The information presented in this posting is for patients’ education only. As always, I encourage you to see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.