Tetsuji Aoyagi1, Mitsuhiro Yamada2, Hiroyuki Kunishima2, Koichi Tokuda1, Hisakazu Yano3, Noriomi Ishibashi1, Masumitsu Hatta1, Shiro Endo1, Kazuaki Arai3, Shinya Inomata1, Yoshiaki Gu2, Hajime Kanamori1, Miho Kitagawa1, Yoichi Hirakata3, Mitsuo Kaku4. 1. Department of Infection Control and Laboratory Diagnostics, Internal Medicine, Sendai, Japan. 2. Department of Regional Cooperation for Infectious Diseases, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. 3. Department of Clinical Microbiology With Epidemiological Research and Management and Analysis of Infectious Diseases, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. 4. Department of Infection Control and Laboratory Diagnostics, Internal Medicine, Sendai, Japan; Department of Regional Cooperation for Infectious Diseases, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. Electronic address: kaku-m77@med.tohoku.ac.jp.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Natural catastrophes increase infectious disease morbidity rates. On March 11, 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and associated Pacific coast tsunami struck East Japan. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of patients with infectious diseases who needed hospitalization after this disaster. METHODS: We searched the medical records of 1,577 patients admitted to Tohoku University Hospital in the Sendai area within 1 month (March 11, 2011-April 11, 2011) after the disaster. We examined (1) changes in the rates of hospitalizations for infectious diseases over time and (2) the variety of infectious diseases. RESULTS: The number of hospitalized patients with infectious diseases increased after the fi rst week to double that during the same period in 2010. Pneumonia comprised 43% of cases, and 12% consisted of skin and subcutaneous tissue infection, including tetanus. Pneumonia was prevalent in elderly patients (median age, 78 years) with low levels of serum albumin and comorbid conditions, including brain and nervous system disorders. Sputum cultures contained Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Haemophilus influenzae , known pathogens of community-acquired pneumonia in Japan. In addition, 20.5% of patients had positive results for urinary pneumococcal antigen. CONCLUSIONS: Among hospitalized patients, infectious diseases were significantly increased after the disaster compared with the same period in 2010, with pneumonia being prominent. The analyses suggest that taking appropriate measures for infectious diseases, including pneumonia, may be useful for disaster preparedness and medical response in the future.
BACKGROUND: Natural catastrophes increase infectious disease morbidity rates. On March 11, 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and associated Pacific coast tsunami struck East Japan. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of patients with infectious diseases who needed hospitalization after this disaster. METHODS: We searched the medical records of 1,577 patients admitted to Tohoku University Hospital in the Sendai area within 1 month (March 11, 2011-April 11, 2011) after the disaster. We examined (1) changes in the rates of hospitalizations for infectious diseases over time and (2) the variety of infectious diseases. RESULTS: The number of hospitalized patients with infectious diseases increased after the fi rst week to double that during the same period in 2010. Pneumonia comprised 43% of cases, and 12% consisted of skin and subcutaneous tissue infection, including tetanus. Pneumonia was prevalent in elderly patients (median age, 78 years) with low levels of serum albumin and comorbid conditions, including brain and nervous system disorders. Sputum cultures contained Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Haemophilus influenzae , known pathogens of community-acquired pneumonia in Japan. In addition, 20.5% of patients had positive results for urinary pneumococcal antigen. CONCLUSIONS: Among hospitalized patients, infectious diseases were significantly increased after the disaster compared with the same period in 2010, with pneumonia being prominent. The analyses suggest that taking appropriate measures for infectious diseases, including pneumonia, may be useful for disaster preparedness and medical response in the future.
Authors: Maria Mavrouli; Spyridon Mavroulis; Efthymios Lekkas; Athanassios Tsakris Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-05-06 Impact factor: 3.390