Roles of Dental Care in Disaster Medicine in Japan

Poor Environmental Conditions Created the Acute Health Deteriorations in Evacuation Shelters after the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake

When disasters occur, affected people in evacuation shelters may experience health problems, such as exacerbation of chronic diseases or development of new diseases. This study examined the factors contributing to sudden illness in evacuation shelters used for the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake. The subjects were evacuees of the Kumamoto Earthquake who were transported to hospitals from evacuation shelters by ambulance. Data on patients transported from evacuation shelters were obtained from emergency transport records at the Kumamoto City Fire Department and from medical institutions. The assessment of the living conditions in the shelter was obtained from the Emergency Medical Information System. A total of 576 patients were transported by ambulance from evacuation shelters in Kumamoto City. Of these, 300 patients for whom detailed information was obtained from medical institutions were included in the analysis. The median age was 71 years, and 213 patients (71%) were over 60 years old. There were 235 patients (78%) with pre-existing medical conditions. The most common reasons for emergency transport were falls and dyspnea, followed by fever, disturbance of consciousness, and abdominal pain. The most common final diagnosis at the medical institutions was trauma due to falls, followed by cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, and cerebral neurological disease. A survey of living conditions in the shelters identified problems with scarcity of space and provision of medical care and food. In order to prevent adverse health outcomes in evacuation shelters, the provision of appropriate living conditions and medical care is important from the acute phase of a disaster.

Disasters in pediatric dentistry: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Disasters can harm many people, especially children, in unpredictable and public ways. One of the neglected aspects of children's health in disasters is oral and dental hygiene, which can affect their physical and mental well-being. This systematic review explores how dentistry can help children in disasters, focusing on two aspects: providing oral health care and identifying disaster victims.

METHODS

A thorough search of databases, such as PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Embase, ProQuest, and Web of Science, was done to find English-language publications from 1930 to August 31, 2023. The screening, data collection, and quality assessment followed the PRISMA guidelines.

RESULTS

Out of 37,795 articles found in the databases, seven research articles were chosen. Five articles were retrospective, and two articles were prospective. The results showed that dentistry for children is very important in disasters by giving information about the oral and dental problems and identifying the victims. The results also showed some of the challenges and difficulties in giving dental care for children in disaster situations, such as changing control, referral systems, and parental fear of infection.

CONCLUSION

Dentistry for children can improve the health and well-being of children affected by disasters.