title: The Christchurch earthquake: dialysis experience and emergency planning.
abstract: On 22 February 2011, a large earthquake struck the Canterbury region in New Zealand. There was extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure. The following day 42 haemodialysis patients were flown to Auckland where they acutely dialysed through the efforts of the Auckland, Waitemata and Counties-Manukau dialysis team. Patients and support people were subsequently distributed to a designated Upper North Island District Health Board for longer-term ongoing dialysis care. The last evacuated haemodialysis patient returned to Christchurch on 9 May 2011. Surprisingly there was a dearth of crush syndrome patients requiring dialysis. The evacuation and reception of a large number of dialysis patients was a novel experience for the New Zealand dialysis community. A planning guide for dialysis emergency is available to assist with similar future natural disasters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Irvine
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buttimore
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Eastwood
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kendrick-Jones
mesh_terms: D017732:Air Ambulances / Q000458:organization & administration; D003444:Crush Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D055866:Earthquakes; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000458:organization & administration; D012066:Relief Work / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: dialysis; earthquake; emergency; evacuation; planning