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Yamamura M, Sawano T, Ozaki A, Zhao T, Yamamoto C, Montesino S, Kawashima M, Uchi Y, Yoshimura H, Kitazawa K, Marui H, Tsubokura M. Case Report: Difficulties faced by a home oxygen therapy patient who died after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1394376. [PMID: 39081351 PMCID: PMC11286418 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1394376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Following the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in 2011, mandatory evacuation orders were issued to residents living near the nuclear power plant in Fukushima prefecture, including some patients receiving home oxygen therapy. Although the vulnerability of patients with home oxygen therapy (one of the population groups most vulnerable to disasters) has been noted, there is little information on the health effects of evacuation in the event of a radiation disaster. A 90-year-old man diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease since the age of 70, and lived in a town located approximately 20 km south of the nuclear power plant, died 8 months after the disaster due to worsening health conditions. This case reveals the potential for both physical and psychological burdens experienced by vulnerable groups like patients undergoing home oxygen therapy during evacuations in times of disaster. Although it is only a case report and the information is limited, severe respiratory distress requiring home oxygen therapy may present a significant risk factor for disaster-related deaths, especially in cases where evacuations are prolonged, such as in nuclear disasters. Due to the challenge of obtaining prompt public support immediately after a disaster, home oxygen therapy patients may need to prioritize self-help and mutual assistance in their disaster preparedness efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Momoka Yamamura
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Toyoaki Sawano
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Fukushima, Japan
- Research Center for Community Health, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Akihiko Ozaki
- Research Center for Community Health, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Fukushima, Japan
- Breast and Thyroid Center, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Tianchen Zhao
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Chika Yamamoto
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | | | | | - Yuna Uchi
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Hiroki Yoshimura
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- School of Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kemmei Kitazawa
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Hidenori Marui
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Masaharu Tsubokura
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Research Center for Community Health, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Fukushima, Japan
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Yoshimura H, Sawano T, Murakami M, Uchi Y, Kawashima M, Kitazawa K, Nonaka S, Ito N, Saito H, Abe T, Moriyama N, Sakakibara M, Yagiuchi K, Otsuki M, Hori A, Ozaki A, Yamamoto C, Zhao T, Uchiyama T, Oikawa T, Niwa S, Tsubokura M. Categorization of disaster-related deaths in Minamisoma city after the Fukushima nuclear disaster using clustering analysis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2946. [PMID: 38316846 PMCID: PMC10844307 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53165-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The medical situation during disasters often differs from that at usual times. Disasters can lead to significant mortality that can be difficult to monitor. The types of disaster-related deaths are largely unknown. In this study, we conducted a survey to categorize the disaster-related deaths caused by a radiation disaster. A total of 520 people living in Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, at the time of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, who were certified to have died due to disaster-related causes were surveyed. We divided the participants into those who were at home at the time of the earthquake and those who were in hospitals or facilities when the disaster struck and conducted a hierarchical cluster analysis of the two groups. Disaster-related deaths could be divided into seven groups for those who were at home at the time of the disaster and five groups for those who were in hospitals or facilities at the time of the disaster. Each group showed different characteristics, such as "the group with disabilities," "the group receiving care," and "the group with depression," and it became evident that not only uniform post-disaster support, but support tailored to the characteristics of each group is necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Yoshimura
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
- School of Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Toyoaki Sawano
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki, Japan
- Research Center for Community Health, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Michio Murakami
- Department of Health Risk Communication, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Yuna Uchi
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Moe Kawashima
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Kemmei Kitazawa
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Saori Nonaka
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
- Research Center for Community Health, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Naomi Ito
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Saito
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Soma Central Hospital, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Toshiki Abe
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Nobuaki Moriyama
- Department of Public Health, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Mamoru Sakakibara
- Reinstatement Support Center for Nurses, Incorporated Foundation of Tokiwa-Kai, Iwaki, Japan
| | | | - Mako Otsuki
- Department of Nursing, Fukushima Medical University Hospital, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Arinobu Hori
- Department of Psychiatry, Hori Mental Clinic, Minamisoma, Japan
| | - Akihiko Ozaki
- Research Center for Community Health, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki, Japan
| | - Chika Yamamoto
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Tianchen Zhao
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Taiga Uchiyama
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Tomoyoshi Oikawa
- Department of Neurosurgery, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Minamisoma, Japan
| | - Shinichi Niwa
- Department of Psychiatry, Aizu Medical Center, Fukushima Medical University, Aizuwakamatsu, Japan
| | - Masaharu Tsubokura
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan.
- Research Center for Community Health, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Fukushima, Japan.
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