[Laboratory Medicine Support for Disaster-Affected Region].

Abstract

As natural disasters have been occurring more frequently in recent years, the need to prepare for a future disaster is growing. Based on the experience of the Great Hanshin earthquake occurred in 1995, we pre- dicted that laboratory test demand will be increased one week post-disaster. Also, the provision of medical and health care services is indispensable in areas affected by disasters for not only acute-phase patients, but also for those with diabetes, hypertension, and chronic diseases. This study summarized how laboratory medicine supplies were provided to the region affected by the Great East Japan earthquake occurred in 2011. In order to provide laboratory medicine supplies in the affected region, the Japanese Society of Laboratory Medicine set up a committee to respond to the Great East Japan earthquake as a temporary measure. Since electric power and water supplies are cut after a disaster, we decided to provide support using Point-Of-Care Testing (POCT) devices and disposable In-Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) reagents. A total of 40 companies agreed to provide support, and more than 100 IVD reagents were prepared. We posted the above information on our website, and updated it immediately when additional support requests were made. In addition, volunteer clinical technologists were sent to the affected region for 8 weeks, in order to support laboratory tests per- formed in temporary clinics or first aid stations. This experience was immediately applied to medical sup- port activities performed after the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. This study identified the usefulness of la- boratory tests and clinical technologists in disaster-affected regions. [Review].