RESUMEN
Following the Great East Japan Earthquake, many pharmacy students conducted support activities which was no requirement of pharmacist’s license. Although some pharmacy students reported their activities, there are no studies comprehensively analyzing this phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to survey the support activities of pharmacy students and to analyze the corresponding conditions. We conducted personal interviews with 22 pharmacy students involved in the support activities. The questionnaire included items about a student’s general attributes, activities, activity duration, and relevant locations. Further, we analyzed data on their attributes and personal information with respect to the support activities. Data on the activities were classified into 10 categories and evaluated based on pharmaceutical knowledge levels required for the support activities. According to the results of the interviews, the phases of the activities were classified into “sub-acute phase” and “chronic phase.”The relevant locations were medication collection points, shelters, and transit points for medical teams, temporary clinics, and temporary housing. Furthermore, according to the classification of activities by knowledge levels, activities depended on the students’ pharmaceutical knowledge; if they appropriately selected the activities (based on their pharmaceutical knowledge level), they could effectively participate in the support activities. The results of our survey suggest that pharmacy students can assist healthcare professionals, although the relevant activities are limited by the duration and pharmaceutical knowledge.
RESUMEN
In recent decades, natural disasters have increased markedly. A large-scale disaster can cause not only severe injuries but also stress-related diseases such as cardiovascular events. Particularly, the elderly and persons with preexisting disabilities are at greater risk for injuries, worsening disabilities and deaths in a disaster. The Great East Japan Earthquake 2011 revealed that rehabilitation medicine had some essential roles for people requiring assistance in a large-scale disaster. Firstly, in the acute phase immediately after the disaster, it was important to protect elderly and disabled people from dangerous situations. In this instance, even though significant numbers of vulnerable people requiring assistance remained in the affected area, there were insufficient sheltered locations available, because a large number of medical and welfare facilities were destroyed. Secondly, in the post acute phase after the earthquake, the medical rehabilitation needs for disaster-related disease such as cerebrovascular accidents increased. Finally, in the chronic phase of the disaster, the community based rehabilitation needs to prevent deconditioning syndrome had gradually grown. The aging of the Japanese population is a crucial issue. In this regard, disaster rehabilitation for vulnerable people is similar to comprehensive community care in many aspects. To support disaster victims, the Disaster Acute Rehabilitation Team (DART) and the Japan Rehabilitation Assistance Team (JART) have been proposed to take the lead in disaster rehabilitation. To support these and other ongoing efforts and to better prepare for the future, the Japanese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and other related rehabilitation professional societies should provide specialized training on disaster rehabilitation.
RESUMEN
<b>Objective</b> : To understand the issues, future goals and support for the lives of the residents who were victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake.<br><b>Methods</b> : We conducted interviews with two men and six women among the affected residents who were living in temporary housing in the City of Tagajo in July 2013.<br><b>Results</b> : Most residents had many acquaintances, so there were minimal interpersonal troubles. However, many of them are elderly and there was concern regarding those that do not attend community meetings. This temporary housing was assisted by volunteers from the whole country who came at the early stages to support them. Upon moving into the temporary housing, there were some initial problems such as no reheating of the bath water and dark surroundings due to the lack of street lamps. However, following requests to the City of Tagajo, most of these issues were resolved. Many of the residents need to use a wheelchair compared to normal situation and concern was expressed regarding who will support them if another big earthquake occurs.<br><b>Conclusion</b> : New permanent housing is being constructed and gradually being occupied, and no major problems were seen among the residents interviewed. However, the existence of the group of people who cannot come to the community meetings and the issues that elderly residents have were clarified. Support for these residents, including health maintenance, is felt to be necessary.
RESUMEN
We would like to report on the treatment of 15 patients with floating sensation after the Great East Japan Earthquake (2011 Tohoku Earthquake) in 2011.Twelve cases were effectively treated with hangekobokuto, while two cases were effectively treated with hangebyakujutsutemmato, but not with hangekobokuto.One case was effectively treated with ryokeijutsukanto. We discuss how to treat this floating sensation, focusing on the usage of hangekobokuto.<BR>Most patients who were successfully treated with hangekobokuto reported an uneasy feeling with a floating sensation. On the other hand, those who were successfully treated with hangebyakujutsutemmato or ryokeijutsukanto did not feel uneasy, but reported vertigo and upset stomach.Upon abdominal examination, epigastric resistance was frequently observed in the patients treated with hangekobokuto.This resistance decreased as the floating sensation was improved.<BR>Our results indicate that hangekobokuto could be efficacious for patients with floating sensation after an earthquake, who also felt uneasy and showed epigastric resistance upon abdominal examination.
RESUMEN
Introduction: The Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011, devastated large areas of northeastern Japan. Medical students participated in the medical support teams dispatched by Tohoku University Hospital to the devastated areas. However, whether participation in such medical support teams affects the learning attitudes and future careers of medical students has not been examined.<br> Methods: We used a questionnaire to investigate how 19 students who participated in medical support teams thought their participation would affect their learning attitudes and future careers. We analyzed the results by simple tabulation.<br> Results: After participating, many students thought that they would have to study harder because they had been able to do nearly nothing by themselves for the people in the devastated areas. They also stated that they wanted to work in the Tohoku district in the future.<br> Discussion: These results suggest that the participation of medical students in medical support teams for devastated areas encourages them to study harder, probably because they recognize the importance of health care in society. The results also suggest that participation provides students with opportunities to consider their future careers from a different point of view.
RESUMEN
Our hospital is located in the prefectural capitol of Fukushima, where tremors just below magnitude six were recorded during the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011. The building was spared major damage, but for safety, patients hospitalized at the Kaifukuki rehabilitation ward were evacuated within the hospital to rehabilitation rooms in the new annex, where they spent two nights. The day after the earthquake, a group rehabilitation session was conducted, but because patients showed signs of exhaustion from lack of sleep and anxiety, it was switched to individual rehabilitation. On a questionnaire, many patients noted that conversations with the staff helped ease their anxiety. This suggests that, although group rehabilitation can be efficient and effective in providing psychological support to patients, individual rehabilitation tends to be more favorable in disaster situations where patients suffer from exhaustion and psychological stress. Accordingly, disaster rehabilitation should be conducted on a patient-by-patient basis. In comparison with patients from the same time the previous year, the number of rehabilitation intervention units per day was one less, but the period of hospitalization was longer. A similar improvement in FIM was also achieved. At the time of an earthquake, although it is important for hospitals that escape structural damage to accept new patients, it is also important to continue treating the patients who were already there. Furthermore, hospitals should always have stockpiles of meals on hand and form cooperative relationships with the community to ensure that they can continue to provide service after an earthquake.