Impact of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake on Transplant Renal Function in Iwaki City, Fukushima

• Published in: Transplantation proceedings Vol. 46; no. 2; pp. 613 - 615
• Main Authors: Shimmura, H, Kawaguchi, H, Tokiwa, M, Tanabe, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 2014
• Subjects: Earthquakes; Fukushima Nuclear Accident; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents - administration & dosage; Japan; Kidney - physiopathology; Kidney Transplantation; Surgery; Japan
• ISSN: 0041-1345; 1873-2623
• DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2013.11.044

Abstract Tokiwa-kai group is a urologic and dialysis institution complex located in Iwaki city, Fukushima, Japan, and has performed renal transplantation since 1997. Although water is mandatory for renal transplant recipients, the water supply did not work for approximately a month after the earthquake in Iwaki city. Moreover, after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident struck Iwaki city, there was a critical shortage of food and medical supplies, including immunosuppressant drugs. Therefore, we investigated the impact of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake on transplant renal function. We followed 30 patients who underwent renal transplantation before the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake. There were 19 males and 11 females with a mean age of 47 years. All recipients were not injured by the earthquake or the tsunami. Of the 30 recipients, 1 lost his renal graft at 12 months after the earthquake, and 1 has deterioration of graft function with a serum creatinine level of 5.5 mg/dL. Their creatinine levels before the earthquake were 2.79 mg/dL and 3.78 mg/dL, respectively. The other recipients have good graft function with a mean creatinine level of 1.5 mg/dL. All recipients did not experience any rejection episode after the earthquake. The shortage of water and food after the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake exacerbated the renal graft function, especially in the recipients with the lower graft function.