Saving lives and restoring hope: Enhancing outcomes through comprehensive understanding of maxillofacial surgery in disaster medicine

This article delves into the profound impact of various types of disasters, examining some specific contexts. It provides insights into the unique challenges posed by different disasters, ultimately highlighting the invaluable role of maxillofacial surgery in addressing the critical healthcare needs of affected populations. A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted to analyze the role of maxillofacial surgery in disaster management. Relevant studies were examined to gather evidence supporting the criticality of maxillofacial surgeons in disaster response. Continuous training, coordination, and international collaboration among maxillofacial surgeons were reported as key factors in enhancing preparedness and improving post-disaster recovery. Sharing experiences, implementing best practices, and staying updated with advancements in the field seemed crucial for maximizing the impact of maxillofacial surgery in disaster medicine. By prioritizing the inclusion of maxillofacial surgeons in disaster response teams, lives can be saved, functional outcomes can be improved, and hope can be restored in affected communities. Understanding the intricacies and patterns associated with various types of disasters can be crucial details for successful rescue operations.

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.

Factors Affecting Human Damage in Heavy Rains and Typhoon Disasters

Floods due to heavy rains or typhoons are frequent annual hazards in Japan. This study aims to reduce disaster fatalities and contribute to disaster risk reduction. This retrospective observational study analyzed fatalities caused by heavy rains or typhoons. In Japan, 578 fatalities, related to seven occurrences of heavy rains and 16 typhoons, occurred between 2016 and 2020. Moreover, 13,195 houses collapsed due to hazards. Furthermore, 334 (73.2%) of the 456 fatalities were > 60 years old. Heavy rains caused more local area destruction due to floods and landslides than typhoons although wind- and disaster-related mortalities were found to be caused by typhoons. Human damage was eminent in older people because of their vulnerabilities and possibly dangerous behavior. Many fatalities were due to floods (46.9%) and landslides (44.1%). Indoor and outdoor mortalities due to heavy rains or typhoons were 157 (55.9%) and 124 (44.1%), respectively, and 24 (21.8%) of 124 outdoor mortalities occurred in vehicles. The number of recent flood mortalities in Japan correlates with the number of destroyed houses. Analyzing the victim's locations in the 2020 Kumamoto Heavy Rain using hazard and inundation maps suggested the difficulty of ensuring the safety of people living in dangerous areas. This study showed the characteristics of flood damage by heavy rains and typhoons in Japan and reports that flood damage is increasing because of the hazard size and community aging. Disaster risk reduction, disaster education, and evacuation safety plans for the elderly using hazard maps were important for strengthening disaster resilience.

Effectiveness of disaster preparedness education in helping older people prevent isolation

OBJECTIVE

This study intends to clarify the effect of regional disaster preparedness education on efforts to prevent the isolation of older people in the event of a disaster.

DESIGN AND SAMPLE

This quasi-experimental study involved participants aged 65 and above. The intervention group (n = 35) and the comparison group (n = 61) were compared in the first survey and another one month later.

MEASUREMENTS

The survey items assessed aspects such as awareness of and actions related to isolation preparedness, and awareness of support needed by others in the event of a disaster. The results were compared between the two groups.

INTERVENTION

The educational program was based on the transtheoretical model of health behavior change and focused on preventing isolation in the event of a disaster, by connecting vulnerable people with their neighbors. Puppet shows and group work were used as part of the program.

RESULTS

A month after the program implementation, the intervention group had significantly higher awareness of and actions related to isolation preparedness than the comparison group.

CONCLUSIONS

Disaster preparedness education invokes a responsibility toward the prevention of isolation in the disaster and perceives it as a community issue and encourages individuals to support others.

Prolonged Maternal and Child Health, Food and Nutrition Problems after the Kumamoto Earthquake: Semantic Network Analysis of Interviews with Dietitians

Infants need sufficient nutrients even during disasters. Only qualitative descriptive analysis has been reported regarding nutritional problems of mothers and children after the Kumamoto earthquake, and non-subjective analysis is required. This study examined issues concerning maternal and child health, food and nutrition after the Kumamoto earthquake using automatic computer quantitative analysis from focus group interviews (FGIs). Study participants (n = 13) consisted of dietitians in charge of nutrition assistance of infants in affected areas. The content of the interviews was converted into text, nouns were extracted, and co-occurrence network diagram analysis was performed. In the severely damaged area, there were hygienic problems not only in the acute phase but also in the mid-to-long-term phase. "Allergy" was extracted in the surrounding area in the acute and the mid-to-long-term phase, but not in the severely damaged area as the acute phase issue. In the surrounding area, problems have shifted to health and the quality of diet in the mid-to-long-term phase. This objective analysis suggested that dietary problems for mothers and children after disaster occurred also in the mid-to-long-term phase. It will be necessary to combine the overall trends obtained in this study with the results of qualitative descriptive analysis.