Nephrology in earthquakes: sharing experiences and information.

Earthquakes are the most unpredictable natural disasters and often result in many deaths and casualties as a result in part of the collapse of buildings. To restore medical facilities and activities after a large earthquake, nephrologists play critical roles not only in the restoration of dialysis facilities for regular renal replacement therapy but also in the prevention and treatment of acute kidney injury and hyperkalemia, mainly as a result of crush syndrome. For these purposes, sufficient education and establishment of functional networks among medical facilities are certainly needed. Recently, the contribution of international task forces has become more significant, especially for large-scale natural disasters. Organized detailed action plans should be prepared among regional governments and armies considering the differences in cultures and social systems.