Psychological Characteristics of Children at Two Years after the Great East Japan Earthquake: Analyses of Telephone Consultation Records.

The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake was the largest and most catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in Japanese history. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the burden and psychological characteristics of children at 2 years after this catastrophe to allow a better understanding of the situation and the provision of appropriate support. We investigated a cross-sectional study carried out in 2013 by sending a questionnaire to schools located in Miyagi Prefecture to be answered by parents or guardians. The questionnaire included the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to estimate the psychological adaptation of children. Telephone consultations were provided for children with SDQ scores > 16 whose parents or guardians had given consent. From the target population of 12,742, a total of 4,074 responses were received (response rate: 32%), among which, 720 had an SDQ score > 16 and received a telephone consultation. At the time of the telephone consultation, 301 (42%) of the 720 children and parents or guardians showed some type of psychological reaction and were thus classified as "Insufficient recovery". Among these, 230 had not received social support at any point in time, suggesting the need for long-term psychological support. Those who resided in a coastal area tended to show a higher rate of psychological reactions than those in an inland area (27.1% vs. 12.9%, respectively). In conclusion, catastrophic disasters have a long-lasting psychological impact on children, and thus, long-term psychological support may be needed.

Polymerase-chain reaction testing to prevent hospital-acquired severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in Shinjuku, an epicenter in Tokyo: The Tokyo Women's Medical University model.

Hospital-acquired severe acute respiratory virus coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is a healthcare challenge. We hypothesized that polymerase chain reaction testing of symptomatic triaged outpatients and all inpatients before hospitalization in Shinjuku, a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epicenter in Tokyo, using the Tokyo Women's Medical University (TMWU) model would be feasible and efficient at preventing COVID-19. This retrospective study enrolled 2981 patients from March to May 2020. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 1.81% (95% credible interval [CI]: 0.95-3.47%) in triaged symptomatic outpatients, 0.04% (95% CI: 0.0002-0.2%) in scheduled asymptomatic inpatients, 3.78% (95% CI: 1.82-7.26%) in emergency inpatients, and 2.4% (95% CI: 1.49-3.82%) in symptomatic patients. There were no cases of hospital-acquired SARS-CoV-2 infection. This shows that the TWMU model could prevent hospital-acquired SARS-CoV-2 infection and is feasible and effective in reducing the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the hospitals.

Prevalence of fatigue among postgraduate trainees in the United States and Japan.

BACKGROUND: The difference in prevalence of fatigue among postgraduate trainees between the United States and Japan is unknown. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey using Iowa Fatigue Scale was administered on postgraduate trainees in two internal medicine residency programs in New York and five postgraduate residency programs in Japan. RESULTS: Of the 393 trainees, 135 (34%) completed the survey. Seventy-seven (57%) were US trainees. Both fatigue (42% vs 81%) and severe fatigue (4% vs 19%) were more prevalent in Japan (P < .01). US trainees felt more productive during work hours but less fatigued. CONCLUSIONS: Fatigue was more prevalent among postgraduate trainees in Japan.