Diagnosis and management of tropical infections in travellers and expatriates at the Australian Embassy Clinic, Laos: Experience in a limited-resource environment

Abstract

The Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) is located in South East Asia bordered by Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and China. There is a large resident expatriate community as well as many foreign travellers. Health care resources available to this population are limited to a few embassy-based clinics. This review presents a perspective on managing tropical infections in the context of an expatriate clinic in the Lao PDR. Patients present with a variety of tropical infections and are often treated presumptively with minimal local laboratory support. Other laboratory tests that may be helpful to make an accurate diagnosis are detailed and discussed.