Medication Compliance in Renal Transplant Patients During the Great East Japan Earthquake

Disaster preparation in kidney transplant recipients: a questionnaire-based cohort study from a large United States transplant center

“…This is the first study of emergency preparedness conducted in this specialized patient population. Additional strengths include that despite prior survey-based assessments of preparedness in vulnerable populations such as in diabetic children as studied by Heptulla et al [ 4 ] in Texas and Kadowaki et al [ 6 ] in Japan, none of these studies have explored the reasons patients cite as barriers or challenges they face in being adequately prepared. Access to information and medication are unique barriers faced by those with chronic illness as evident in our data, and something that requires the combined efforts of both public health departments and medical personnel to address.…”

“…Questionnaire-based studies have evaluated emergency preparedness in several populations: dialysis patients since Hurricane Sandy [ 3 ], type I diabetic children since Hurricanes Ike and Sandy in Texas [ 4 ], and the elderly in an assessment conducted in Akron, OH, USA [ 5 ]. Only one small study in Japan in the wake of the East Japan Quake has ever assessed disaster preparation in kidney transplant patients [ 6 ].…”

Kidney problems in disaster situations

“…Also peritoneal dialysis patients may experience difficulties to obtain dialysate. In fact, provisioning problems may apply to all CKD patients with regards to their medication, with an extra risk for transplant recipients if they cannot obtain their immunosuppression [67].…”

Role of the International and National Renal Organizations in Natural Disasters: Strategies for Renal Rescue

“…However, in certain areas prone to earthquakes, such as Japan, and in anticipation of a disaster or emergency, instructions to patients regarding self-management and encouraging patients to stockpile at least 2 weeks' worth of medication resulted in a shortage of oral immunosuppressive medication in only 16% of the transplanted population and no evidence of rejection was noted. 62 However, the anticipatory action of only stockpiling medication often is insufficient. For example, a recent enquiry in San Francisco showed that only 30% of patients were prepared sufficiently for disasters.…”