title: [Pulmonary thromboembolism during the Niigata Chuetsu earthquake in 2004].
abstract: We encountered 2 cases of pulmonary thromboembolism developed during refuge for Niigata Chuetsu earthquake in 2004. Case 1 was a 76-year-old woman who moved to the back seat of a car for refuge since the earthquake struck on October 23rd, 2004. When she emerged from the car on the morning of October 25th, she felt sudden dyspnea and lost consciousness. On arrival at the hospital, she had low blood pressure and hypoxemia, hypocapnia, and metabolic acidosis. Based on her clinical history and her symptoms, pulmonary thromboembolism was suspected and heparinization was begun immediately. In our hospital, the chest CT angiography proved the diagnosis. She was transferred to a university hospital for further treatment. Case 2 was a 79-year-old woman. She spent only one night in a car. Fifteen days after the earthquake, chest tightness and dyspnea occurred. Although her symptoms were improved and disappeared, she came to our hospital. Chest CT images confirmed pulmonary thromboembolism, and treatment with heparin was begun. We think this pulmonary thromboembolism was related to the knee-bending position she had assumed in the car and decreased activity during refuge. This is a clinical condition which could happen during disasters in the future. We should recognize the likelihood of pulmonary thromboembolisms in the disasters in the future.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, Niigata Prefectural Muikamachi Hospital.
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Junta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Yuhsuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ogaw
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kasai
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakail
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsukada
authors.forename: Fumitake
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gejyo
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hanzawa
authors.forename: Eiichi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed