Effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident on behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia among patients.

BACKGROUND: The Great East Japan Earthquake triggered accidents at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, becoming the first complex disaster that included both a natural and a nuclear power disaster. This study examines how complex disasters affect patients with dementia. METHODS: Participants included the 331 people diagnosed with dementia out of the 2482 new patients (between January 2008 and December 2015) at a psychiatric hospital located in the indoor sheltering zones nearby mandatory evacuation zones. Medical records were retrospectively examined to identify the number of new patients with dementia, the severity, their chief complaints, and the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) types. BPSD were classified into the hyperactive BPSD group and the hypoactive BPSD group. The hyperactive BPSD group was further subdivided into the hyperactivity-impulsivity-irritability-disinhibition-aggression-agitation group, which exhibited agitation, disinhibition, and irritability, and the psychosis group, which exhibited delusions and hallucinations. The hypoactive BPSD group included depression, inactivity, apathy, and anxiety. Results were divided into the period before the complex disaster (2008-2010) and after (2012-2015) and were compared. In addition, the post-complex-disaster period was subdivided into the early phase (2012-2013) and the late phase (2014-2015). RESULTS: The proportion of new patients with dementia increased significantly after the disaster. Although there was no change in patients' age and the disease's severity, the proportion of patients whose chief complaint was BPSD increased significantly after the disaster. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in the hyperactivity-impulsivity-irritability-disinhibition-aggression-agitation group in the early post-complex-disaster phase and a significant increase in the psychosis group in the late post-complex-disaster phase. CONCLUSION: This complex disaster caused increased consultations from patients with dementia and increased BPSD. Additionally, it increased participants' symptoms of agitation and irritability in the early post-complex-disaster phase and the proportion of hallucinations and delusions in the late post-complex-disaster phase.

Differential diagnosis of memory impairment in areas affected by a natural disaster:a case report.

We treated a man with a chief complaint of memory impairment after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Initially, he was diagnosed with dementia. However, after several tests, neither could a definitive diagnosis of dementia be reached, nor was there any apparent evidence for depression, epilepsy, delirium, or internal medicine diseases. During the earthquake, the patient experienced the severe trauma of watching his wife being swept away by a tsunami. Furthermore, he experienced separation from his family. Because of this traumatic experience, we suspected that dissociative disorder was involved in the development of the memory impairment and thus, we switched to treatments focusing on emotional support. Subsequently, the patient's memory impairment gradually improved. The present case demonstrates the importance of considering dissociative disorders when examining a patient with memory impairment in areas affected by disasters.

Health and Medical Issues in the Area Affected by Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident.

Futaba County was the area most affected by the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. To understand issues around the re-development of the medical system, we investigated the post-accident changes in medical needs and the system's transition. We analyzed reports from Fukushima Prefecture and local municipalities, ambulance transport data from the Futaba Fire Department, and patient data from Futaba Medical Center (FMC). After the accident, all medical institutions were closed, and the number of ambulance use dropped sharply. With the lifting of evacuation orders beginning in 2014, the amount of ambulance use increased at an annual rate of about 10%. Early on, the proportion of trauma caused by occupational and traffic accidents increased rapidly to more than 30%. As residents returned, the proportion related to endogenous diseases (most commonly respiratory) increased. Soon after the FMC opened in 2018, the majority of the patients were in their 60s, and by 2019 the proportion of patients in their 80s markedly increased. The return of the residents as well as ongoing decontamination and reconstruction projects were related to changes in the demographics of patients and the types of injuries and illnesses observed.

Method for ABO Blood Group Testing Using a General-Purpose Automated Biochemical Analyzer.

BACKGROUND: We investigated a high-throughput and high-precision forward ABO blood typing screening method that utilizes a general-purpose biochemical analyzer to perform direct red blood cell sampling. METHODS: The blood group antisera used were Ortho® BioClone® Anti-A Serum and Ortho® BioClone® Anti-B Se-rum. AFFIRMAGEN® Reagent Red Blood Cells (Ortho Clinical Diagnostics) were used for AB standard red blood cells. The general-purpose biochemical analyzer employed was the TBATM-120FR HbA1c measurement unit (Canon Medical Systems). RESULTS: ABO blood group of patient samples was determined based on values relative to amount of change in the AFFIRMAGEN® response. Repeatability was CV5% or lower, and testing of 1,112 patient samples showed 100% agreement between the results obtained using the proposed method and those obtained using the tube test method. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed method allows ABO blood typing to be performed simply, quickly, and with a high degree of precision.