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Packing your medical bag
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February 16, 1998: 1:29 p.m. ET
A well-stocked travel kit can make a crucial difference when illness strikes
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NEW YORK (Biztravel.com) - In this age of modern world travel, awareness of international health and safety is not only wise, but essential. In fact, the old adage that an ounce of prevention weighs more than a pound of cure seems even more relevant today as travelers push farther -- and with greater frequency -- into regions once untouched by tourism or business travel.
Still, regardless of where you venture, it's always wise to pack a travel medical kit with basic first aid supplies and a reserve of personal medications.
According to the Medical College of Wisconsin's International Travelers Clinic (ITC), many drugs and medical supplies commonly found in the U.S. are not always available abroad. Even if substitutes are found, it is sometimes difficult to ascertain if they've been manufactured under the same quality standards.
The ITC recommends packing the following in your travel medical kit:
- essentials, including bandages, gauze, tape, a thermometer, Ace bandages, scissors, and tweezers for removing stingers or foreign bodies
- both topical antibiotic ointments and steroid creams (such as those formulated with 1 percent hydrocortisone)
- anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and Ibuprofen
- oral decongestants, useful not only for colds and allergies, but to help relieve earaches caused by airplane cabin pressurization
- a sunscreen with a minimum SPF rating of 15
- a non-prescription motion-sickness remedy such as Dramamine.
California's Alameda Travel Vaccination Center also lists several medications worth including in your foreign and adventure travel medical kits:
- over-the-counter medications such as Imodium AD help relieve the immediate symptoms of travelers' diarrhea. Many travelers also claim that taking chewable Pepto-Bismol tablets four times a day helps prevent some cases of diarrhea. For severe dehydration caused by diarrhea, consider packing a small container of baking soda and a commercial water disinfectant such as Globaline, Aquapure, or Potable-Aqua. These ingredients are ideal components of an oral rehydration regimen
- for the prevention of acute altitude sickness -- which can affect people at altitudes as low as 10,000 feet -- get a prescription of Diamox from your physician (unless you are allergic to sulfa drugs)
- for protection from mosquitoes and to prevent transmission of diseases through insect bites, carry an insect repellent containing the active ingredient DEET, the most effective insect repellent, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).. Use according to instructions, taking care to avoid concentrations of more than 35 percent, especially on children. For greater protection, soak or spray clothing and bedding fabric with Permethrin, an insect repellent licensed for use on fabrics.
Both the Alameda Travel Vaccination Center and the CDC recommend taking malaria medication for many foreign destinations. The array of prophylactic drug regiments is large, so consult your doctor for the prescription best suited to your medical needs. Visit the CDC Travel Information website to get specific malaria outbreak warnings, as well as the latest worldwide travel health alerts and advice.
For travelers who have neither the time nor inclination to prepare their own travel medical kits, Northampton, Mass.-based Travel Medicine, Inc. offers an excellent assortment of pre-stocked kits. 
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