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Sever MS, Luyckx V, Tonelli M, Kazancioglu R, Rodgers D, Gallego D, Tuglular S, Vanholder R. Disasters and kidney care: pitfalls and solutions. Nat Rev Nephrol 2023; 19:672-686. [PMID: 37479903 DOI: 10.1038/s41581-023-00743-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Patients with kidney disease, especially those with kidney failure, are particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of disasters because their survival depends on functional infrastructure, advanced technology, the availability of specific drugs and well-trained medical personnel. The risk of poor outcomes across the entire spectrum of patients with kidney diseases (acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease and kidney failure on dialysis or with a functioning transplant) increases as a result of disaster-related logistical challenges. Patients who are displaced face even more complex problems owing to additional threats that arise during travel and after reaching their new location. Overall, risks may be mitigated by pre-disaster preparedness and training. Emergency kidney disaster responses depend on the type and severity of the disaster and include medical and/or surgical treatment of injuries, treatment of mental health conditions, appropriate diet and logistical interventions. After a disaster, patients should be evaluated for problems that were not detected during the event, including those that may have developed as a result of the disaster. A retrospective review of the disaster response is vital to prevent future mistakes. Important ethical concerns include fair distribution of limited resources and limiting harm. Patients with kidney disease, their care-givers, health-care providers and authorities should be trained to respond to the medical and logistical problems that occur during disasters to improve outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Sukru Sever
- Istanbul University, Istanbul School of Medicine, Department of Nephrology, Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Valerie Luyckx
- Department of Public and Global Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard, Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marcello Tonelli
- Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Rumeyza Kazancioglu
- Division of Nephrology, Bezmialem Vakif University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Darlene Rodgers
- Independent Nurse Consultant, American Society of Nephrology, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Dani Gallego
- European Kidney Health Alliance, Brussels, Belgium
- European Kidney Patient Federation, Wien, Austria
| | - Serhan Tuglular
- Marmara University, School of Medicine, Department of Nephrology, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Raymond Vanholder
- European Kidney Health Alliance, Brussels, Belgium
- Nephrology Section, Department of Internal Medicine and Paediatrics, University Hospital Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
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Sever MS, Vanholder R, Oniscu G, Abramowicz D, Van Biesen W, Maggiore U, Watschinger B, Mariat C, Buturovic-Ponikvar J, Crespo M, Mjoen G, Heering P, Peruzzi L, Gandolfini I, Hellemans R, Hilbrands L. Kidney transplantation during mass disasters - from COVID-19 to other catastrophes A Consensus Statement by the DESCARTES Working Group and Ethics Committee of the ERA. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2023; 38:300–308. [PMID: 36066915 PMCID: PMC9923698 DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfac251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Mass disasters are characterized by a disparity between health care demand and supply, which hampers complex therapies like kidney transplantation. Considering scarcity of publications on previous disasters, we reviewed transplantation practice during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, and dwelled upon this experience for guiding transplantation strategies in the future pandemic and non-pandemic catastrophes. We strongly suggest continuing transplantation programs during mass disasters, if medical and logistic operational circumstances are appropriate. Postponing transplantations from living donors and referral of urgent cases to safe regions or hospitals are justified. Specific preventative measures in anticipated disasters (such as vaccination programs during pandemics or evacuation in case of hurricanes or wars) may be useful to minimize risks. Immunosuppressive therapies should consider stratifying risk status and avoiding heavy immune suppression in patients with a low probability of therapeutic success. Discharging patients at the earliest convenience is justified during pandemics, whereas delaying discharge is reasonable in other disasters, if infrastructural damage results in unhygienic living environments for the patients. In the outpatient setting, telemedicine is a useful approach to reduce the patient load to hospitals, to minimize the risk of nosocomial transmission in pandemics and the need for transport in destructive disasters. If it comes down to save as many lives as possible, some ethical principles may vary in function of disaster circumstances, but elementary ethical rules are non-negotiable. Patient education is essential to minimize disaster-related complications and to allow for an efficient use of health care resources.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Raymond Vanholder
- European Kidney Health Alliance, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Nephrology Section, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | | | - Wim Van Biesen
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Nephrology Section, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Umberto Maggiore
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Bruno Watschinger
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Medicine III, Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christophe Mariat
- Service de Néphrologie, Dialyse et Transplantation rénale, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint Etienne, Hôpital NORD, Université de Lyon, Université Jean Monnet, Saint Etienne, France
| | | | - Marta Crespo
- Hospital del Mar, Department of Nephrology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Geir Mjoen
- Section of Nephrology, Department of Transplant Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Peter Heering
- Klinik für Nephrologie und Allgemeine Innere Medizin, Städtisches Klinikum Solingen, Solingen, Germany
| | | | | | - Rachel Hellemans
- Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Luuk Hilbrands
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Nephrology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Sever L, Pehlivan G, Canpolat N, Saygılı S, Ağbaş A, Demirgan E, Oh J, Levtchenko E, Ivanov DD, Shroff R. Management of pediatric dialysis and kidney transplant patients after natural or man-made disasters. Pediatr Nephrol 2023; 38:315-325. [PMID: 36194369 PMCID: PMC9529603 DOI: 10.1007/s00467-022-05734-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Pediatric patients on kidney replacement therapy (KRT) are among the most vulnerable during large-scale disasters, either natural or man-made. Hemodialysis (HD) treatments may be impossible because of structural damage and/or shortage of medical supplies, clean water, electricity, and healthcare professionals. Lack of peritoneal dialysis (PD) solutions and increased risk of infectious/non-infectious complications may make PD therapy challenging. Non-availability of immunosuppressants and increased risk of infections may result in graft loss and deaths of kidney transplant recipients. Measures to mitigate these risks must be considered before, during, and after the disaster including training of staff and patients/caregivers to cope with medical and logistic problems. Soon after a disaster, if the possibility of performing HD or PD is uncertain, patients should be directed to other centers, or the duration and/or number of HD sessions or the PD prescription adapted. In kidney transplant recipients, switching among immunosuppressants should be considered in case of non-availability of the medications. Post-disaster interventions target treating neglected physical and mental problems and also improving social challenges. All problems experienced by pediatric KRT patients living in the affected area are applicable to displaced patients who may also face extra risks during their travel and also at their destination. The need for additional local, national, and international help and support of non-governmental organizations must be anticipated and sought in a timely manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lale Sever
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Gülseren Pehlivan
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Nur Canpolat
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Seha Saygılı
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ayşe Ağbaş
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ebru Demirgan
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Istanbul Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Jun Oh
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Medical Center University Hamburg/Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Dymtro D Ivanov
- Department of Nephrology and Renal Replacement Therapy, Shupyk National Health Care University, Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Rukshana Shroff
- UCL Great Ormond Street Hospital and Institute of Child Health, Renal Unit, London, UK
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Sever MS, Vanholder R, Luyckx V, Eckardt KU, Kolesnyk M, Wiecek A, Pawlowicz-Szlarska E, Gallego D, Shroff R, Škoberne A, Nistor I, Sekkarie M, Ivanov D, Noruišiene E, Tuglular S. Armed conflicts and kidney patients: a consensus statement from the Renal Disaster Relief Task Force of the ERA. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2023; 38:56-65. [PMID: 35998320 DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfac247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
During conflicts, people with kidney disease, either those remaining in the affected zones or those who are displaced, may be exposed to additional threats because of medical and logistical challenges. Acute kidney injury developing on the battlefield, in field hospitals or in higher-level hospital settings is characterized by poor outcomes. People with chronic kidney disease may experience treatment interruptions, contributing to worsening kidney function. Patients living on dialysis or with a functioning graft may experience limitations of dialysis possibilities or availability of immunosuppressive medications, increasing the risk of severe complications including death. When patients must flee, these threats are compounded by unhealthy and insecure conditions both during displacement and/or at their destination. Measures to attenuate these risks may only be partially effective. Local preparedness for overall and medical/kidney-related disaster response is essential. Due to limitations in supply, adjustments in dialysis frequency or dose, switching between hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis and changes in immunosuppressive regimens may be required. Telemedicine (if possible) may be useful to support inexperienced local physicians in managing medical and logistical challenges. Limited treatment possibilities during warfare may necessitate referral of patients to distant higher-level hospitals, once urgent care has been initiated. Preparation for disasters should occur ahead of time. Inclusion of disaster nephrology in medical and nursing curricula and training of patients, families and others on self-care and medical practice in austere settings may enhance awareness and preparedness, support best practices adapted to the demanding circumstances and prepare non-professionals to lend support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet S Sever
- Istanbul University, School of Medicine, Department of Nephrology, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Raymond Vanholder
- European Kidney Health Alliance, Brussels, Belgium; Nephrology Section, Department of Internal Medicine and, Pediatrics, University Hospital Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Valerie Luyckx
- Department of Nephrology, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Paediatrics and Child, Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard, Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kai-Uwe Eckardt
- Department of Nephrology and Medical Intensive Care, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mykola Kolesnyk
- SI Institute of Nephrology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Andrzej Wiecek
- Department of Nephrology, Transplantation and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | - Ewa Pawlowicz-Szlarska
- Department of Nephrology, Hypertension and Kidney Transplantation, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Daniel Gallego
- European Kidney Health Alliance, Brussels, Belgium; European Kidney Patient Federation, Wien, Austria
| | - Rukshana Shroff
- Renal Unit, UCL Great Ormond Street Hospital and Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Andrej Škoberne
- Department of Nephrology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ionut Nistor
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Geriatrics, Grigore T Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania; Department of Nephrology, Dr C I Parhon University Hospital, Iasi, Romania
| | | | - Dmytro Ivanov
- Department of Nephrology and RRT Shupyk, National Health Care University, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Edita Noruišiene
- European Kidney Health Alliance, Brussels, Belgium; European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association - European Renal Care Association
| | - Serhan Tuglular
- Marmara University, School of Medicine, Department of Nephrology, Istanbul, Turkey
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Kolesnyk M, Dudar I, Stepanova N, Novakivskyy V, Honchar Y, Krasyuk E, Shifris I, Zograbian R, Velychko M, Loboda O, Fomina S. Recommendations of the Ukrainian Renal Disaster Relief Committee of the Ukrainian Association of Nephrologists and Kidney Transplant Specialists regarding medical care to kidney disease patients during the war. UKRAINIAN JOURNAL OF NEPHROLOGY AND DIALYSIS 2022:3-12. [DOI: 10.31450/ukrjnd.3(75).2022.01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Abstract. The occurrence of an emergency situation (ES) forced international (ISN, EDTA/ERA) and national (Turkey) nephrological associations to establish the Renal Disaster Relief Task Force, which is primarily concerned with the treatment of patients with acute kidney injury and end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis. The war started by the RF is putting the Ukrainian state, Ukrainian society, and the healthcare system in the catastrophic ES. Under these circumstances, all nephrological patients became one of the most vulnerable categories of patients.
To provide immediate support in solving problems within the Ukrainian Association of Nephrologists and Kidney Transplant Specialists (UAN&KTS), the Ukrainian Renal Disaster Relief Committee (URDRC) has been established. One of the most important tasks was to form a group of experts to develop recommendations for specialized medical care for kidney patients in wartime.
According to the experts, the key person for this type of medical care is the leading nephrologist in the region or city. He/she establishes a local Renal Disaster Relief Committee (LRDRC) and decides through horizontal (with other LRDRC) or vertical (with UAN &KTS) collaboration, using available communication tools, on the problems that arise; the most appropriate tool is the Viber platform "Nephrology. Dialysis. Transplantation". In this way, a network without administrative subordination and a non-hierarchical functional system was created, which, on the one hand, functions according to similar working principles, but, on the other hand, may differ in terms of LRDRC composition, communication methods, and more.
The LRDRC divides all patients into three groups and provides work preparation measures before, during and after the cancellation of ES.
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Nair D, Cukor D, Taylor WD, Cavanaugh KL. Applying A Biopsychosocial Framework to Achieve Durable Behavior Change in Kidney Disease. Semin Nephrol 2022; 41:487-504. [PMID: 34973694 DOI: 10.1016/j.semnephrol.2021.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Chronic disease self-management is the establishment and maintenance of behaviors needed to be an active participant in one's health care and experience the best health outcomes. Kidney disease self-management behaviors to slow disease progression include engaging in exercise or physical activity; adhering to a diet low in sodium, potassium, and phosphorus; monitoring laboratory parameters; managing complex medication regimens; coping with disease-related emotional distress; and communicating effectively with providers. Durable behavior change has been difficult to achieve in kidney disease, in part because of an incomplete understanding of the multilevel factors determining chronic disease self-management in this patient group. The biopsychosocial model of chronic illness care posits that an individual's health outcomes result from biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors as part of a multilevel systems hierarchy. Although this theoretical model has been used to comprehensively identify factors driving self-management in other chronic conditions, it has been applied infrequently to behavioral interventions in kidney disease. In this scoping review, we apply the biopsychosocial model of health to identify individual, interpersonal, and systems-level drivers of kidney disease self-management behaviors. We further highlight factors that may serve as novel, impactful targets of theory-based behavioral interventions to understand and sustain behavior change in kidney disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devika Nair
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Vanderbilt O'Brien Center for Kidney Disease, Nashville, TN.
| | - Daniel Cukor
- Behavioral Health Program, The Rogosin Institute, New York, NY
| | - Warren D Taylor
- Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Kerri L Cavanaugh
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Vanderbilt O'Brien Center for Kidney Disease, Nashville, TN; Center for Effective Health Communication, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
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Vanholder R, Sükrü Sever M, Lameire N. Kidney problems in disaster situations. Nephrol Ther 2021; 17S:S27-S36. [PMID: 33910695 DOI: 10.1016/j.nephro.2020.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Mass disasters, particularly earthquakes, cause many medical problems, including kidney problems, but an organized approach to cope with them was initiated only at the end of previous century, subsequent to the Armenian Spitak earthquake in 1988. Originally, interventions were focused on acute kidney injury (AKI) following crush injury and rhabdomyolysis in victims who had been trapped under the debris of collapsed buildings. However, similar problems were also registered in the context of other catastrophic events, especially man-made disasters like wars and torture. Other kidney-related problems, such as the preservation of treatment continuity in chronic kidney disease (CKD), especially in maintenance dialysis patients, deserved attention as well. Specific therapeutic principles apply to disaster-related kidney problems and these may differ from usual day-to-day clinical practice. Those approaches have been formulated in global and specific country-related guidelines and recommendations. It is clear that a well-conceived and organized management of kidney diseases in disasters benefits outcomes. Furthermore, it may be useful if the model and philosophy that were applied over the last three decades could be adapted by broadening the scope of disasters leading to intervention. Actions should be guided and coordinated by a panel of experts steering ad hoc interventions, rather than applying the "old" static model where a single coordinating center instructs and uses volunteers listed long before a potential event occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond Vanholder
- Nephrology Section, Department of Internal Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, 10, Corneel Heymanslaan, B9000 Gent, Belgium.
| | - Mehmet Sükrü Sever
- Department of Nephrology, Istanbul School of Medicine, Istanbul University, Millet Caddesi, 34093 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Norbert Lameire
- Nephrology Section, Department of Internal Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, 10, Corneel Heymanslaan, B9000 Gent, Belgium
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Sever MS, Sever L, Vanholder R. Disasters, children and the kidneys. Pediatr Nephrol 2020; 35:1381-1393. [PMID: 31422466 DOI: 10.1007/s00467-019-04310-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Following disasters, children are physically, psychologically and socially more vulnerable than adults; consequently, their morbidity and mortality are higher. The risks are especially high for orphans and unaccompanied children who are separated from their families, making them frequently victims of human trafficking, slavery, drug addiction, crime or sexual exploitation. Education of children and families about disaster-related risks and providing special protection in disaster preparedness plans may mitigate these threats. Kidney disease patients, both paediatric and adult, are extra vulnerable during disasters, because their treatment is dependent on technology and functioning infrastructure. Acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease patients not on dialysis and dialysis and transplant patients are faced with extensive problems. Overall, similar treatment principles apply both for adults and paediatric kidney patients, but management of children is more problematic, because of substantial medical and logistic difficulties. To minimize drawbacks, it is vital to be prepared for renal disasters. Preparedness plans should address not only medical professionals, but also patients and their families. If problems cannot be coped with locally, calling for national and/or international help is mandatory. This paper describes the spectrum of disaster-related problems in children and the specific features in treating acute and chronic kidney disease in disasters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Sukru Sever
- Department of Nephrology, Istanbul School of Medicine, Istanbul University, Millet Caddesi, 34093, Capa Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Lale Sever
- Department of Paediatric Nephrology, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Raymond Vanholder
- Nephrology Section, Department of Internal Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
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Lameire N, Sever MS, Van Biesen W, Vanholder R. Role of the International and National Renal Organizations in Natural Disasters: Strategies for Renal Rescue. Semin Nephrol 2020; 40:393-407. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semnephrol.2020.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Disaster preparation in kidney transplant recipients: a questionnaire-based cohort study from a large United States transplant center
. Clin Nephrol 2018; 89:241-248. [PMID: 29092741 PMCID: PMC6102562 DOI: 10.5414/cn109280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Few quantitative assessments have assessed disaster preparation in kidney transplant patients. This is a survey-based assessment of disaster preparedness of 200 patients at the University of California San Francisco, USA. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients answered questionnaires assessing their level of preparedness as well as barriers to preparation. Preparedness was scored based on response to 7 questions. Univariate analyses compared participant characteristics extracted from the medical chart against three tertiles of preparedness: low (scores 0 - 2), medium (scores 3 - 4), and high (scores 5 - 7). California counties were coded and mapped by average preparedness scores. RESULTS Only 30% of patients were highly prepared for disasters. Participants were prepared with available medication for 2 weeks (78.5%) and least prepared in having a medical ID bracelet (13%). Significant minorities of patients (40% of patients or more) were unprepared with lists of medications, important phone numbers and disaster kits. Preparedness was not associated with demographic and clinical characteristics. Monterey County was the most prepared of the 31 California counties sampled (score of 4.25 out of 7). CONCLUSION All patients should be educated regarding disaster preparation. County and medical services should collaborate to address specialized populations in general preparedness planning.
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Shimaya M, Watanabe M, Azumi M, Shichiri K, Tomiyama C, Tanabe M, Sato S, Akazawa K. A Questionnaire Survey in Kidney Transplant Outpatients: Factors Associated with Good Self-Management. Health (London) 2015. [DOI: 10.4236/health.2015.75070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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