Follow-up after the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake: diverse influences on pneumonia, bronchial asthma, peptic ulcer and diabetes mellitus

Abstract

We evaluated the influence of the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake on the patients in our internal medicine department. After the initial rush of patients with injury, the number of respiratory diseases, largely pneumonia, increased within one month. This same event, however, seemed to decrease attacks among asthma patients. During the following three months, the number of peptic ulcer patients increased: 39.5% had a giant gastric ulcer and 34.8% had bleeding complications. Diabetic control of outpatients became worse after the earthquake. It is important to recognize that various disorders involving physical and psychological problems develop at different stages after a large-scale disaster.