Radiology Diagnostic Devices Under Emergency Electric Power at Disaster Base Hospitals During the Acute Phase of the Great East Japan Earthquake: Results of a Survey of All Disaster Base Hospitals in Miyagi Prefecture. (10th December 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Maezawa, Shota; Kudo, Daisuke; Furukawa, Hajime; Nakagawa, Atsuhiro; Yamanouchi, Satoshi; Matsumura, Takashi; Egawa, Shinichi; Tominaga, Teiji; Kushimoto, Shigeki
• Is Part Of: Disaster medicine and public health preparedness. Volume 8:Number 6(2014:Dec.)
• Page Start: 548
• Page End: 552
• Publication Date: 2014-12-10
• Subjects: disaster medicine, -- disaster planning, -- disasters, -- earthquakes, -- emergency preparedness; Disaster medicine -- Periodicals; Emergency management -- Planning -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 363.34
• DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2014.134
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1935-7893

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: This study aimed to clarify the management of emergency electric power and the operation of radiology diagnostic devices after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Methods: Timing of electricity restoration, actual emergency electric power generation, and whether radiology diagnostic devices were operational and the reason if not were investigated through a questionnaire submitted to all 14 disaster base hospitals in Miyagi Prefecture in February and March 2013. Results: Commercial electricity supply resumed within 3 days after the earthquake at 13 of 14 hospitals. Actual emergency electric power generation was lower than pre-disaster estimates at most of the hospitals. Only 4 of 11 hospitals were able to generate 60% of the power normally consumed. Under emergency electric power, conventional X-ray and computed tomography (CT) scanners worked in 9 of 14 (64%) and 8 of 14 (57%) hospitals, respectively. The main reason conventional X-ray and CT scanners did not operate was that hospitals had not planned to use these devices under emergency electric power. Only 2 of the 14 hospitals had a pre-disaster plan to allocate emergency electric power, and all devices operated at these 2 hospitals. Conclusions: Pre-disaster plans to allocate emergency electric power are required for disaster base hospitals to effectively operate radiology diagnostic devices after a disaster. ( Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness . 2014;8:548-552)