Characteristics of Patients Transported by Doctor-Requested Helicopters After Japan's 2011 Nuclear Incident. (8th July 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sorimachi, Kotaro; Muto, Kazuya; Sugaya, Kazuki; Ueno, Satoshi; Onodera, Makoto; Ohira, Tetsuya; Tsubokura, Masaharu; Iseki, Ken
• Is Part Of: Disaster medicine and public health preparedness. Volume 17(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-07-08
• Subjects: decontamination -- trauma -- nuclear power plants -- helicopter; Disaster medicine -- Periodicals; Emergency management -- Planning -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 363.34
• DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2022.128
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1935-7893

Abstract

Abstract: Objectives: This study examined the characteristics of severe patients after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. Methods: Cases in the Futaba area were extracted using the dispatch database of the doctor helicopter and flight-nurse records from March 11, 2008, till March 10, 2014. The period before March 11, 2011, was defined as 'pre-earthquake' and the period after March 11, 2011, as 'post-earthquake' to compare the recorded data. Results: Of the 128 total recorded cases, 78 were dispatched during the pre-earthquake period and 50 during the post-earthquake period. The number of patients with physical trauma following the earthquake included 4 patients (33.3%) in 2011, 7 patients (43.7%) in 2012, and 13 patients (59.1%) in 2013. However, the increase in number of requests was not statistically significant ( P = 0.33). All 4 incidents of physical trauma in 2011, and 3 out of 7 incidents in 2012, occurred at the power plants. A total of 4 incidents occurred at decontamination worksites in 2013. Conclusions: It is of primary importance for hospitals to anticipate physical trauma cases during the reconstruction phase following a disaster, and develop a system for patients with physical trauma in the short- and long-term.