%0 Journal Article
%T Hypothermia in victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake: a survey in Miyagi Prefecture
%J Disaster medicine and public health preparedness
%D 2014
%A Furukawa, Hajime
%A Kudo, Daisuke
%A Nakagawa, Atsuhiro
%A Matsumura, Takashi
%A Abe, Yoshiko
%A Konishi, Ryota
%A Yamanouchi, Satoshi
%A Ishibashi, Satoru
%A Kobayashi, Masakazu
%A Narita, Norio
%A Washio, Toshikatsu
%A Arafune, Tatsuhiko
%A Tominaga, Teiji
%A Kushimoto, Shigeki
%V 8
%N 5
%P 379-389
%X OBJECTIVE: A survey was conducted to describe the characteristics of patients treated for hypothermia after the Great East Japan Earthquake. <br><br>METHODS: Written questionnaires were distributed to 72 emergency medical hospitals in Miyagi Prefecture. Data were requested regarding inpatients with a temperature less than 36ºC admitted within 72 hours after the earthquake. The availability of functional heating systems and the time required to restore heating after the earthquake were also documented. <br><br>RESULTS: A total of 91 inpatients from 13 hospitals were identified. Tsunami victims comprised 73% of the patients with hypothermia. Within 24 hours of the earthquake, 66 patients were admitted. Most patients with a temperature of 32ºC or higher were treated with passive external rewarming with blankets. Discharge without sequelae was reported for 83.3% of patients admitted within 24 hours of the earthquake and 44.0% of those admitted from 24 to 72 hours after the earthquake. Heating systems were restored within 3 days of the earthquake at 43% of the hospitals. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Hypothermia in patients hospitalized within 72 hours of the earthquake was primarily due to cold-water exposure during the tsunami. Many patients were successfully treated in spite of the post-earthquake disruption of regional social infrastructure.(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1-11).<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I Cambridge University Press
%@ 1935-7893
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2014.70