Disaster-related deaths with alcohol-related diseases after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident: case series

Kemmei Kitazawa; Toyoaki Sawano; Yuna Uchi; Moe Kawashima; Hiroki Yoshimura; Michio Murakami; Saori Nonaka; Hiroaki Saito; Mamoru Sakakibara; Kazuko Yagiuchi; Mako Otsuki; Akihiko Ozaki; Chika Yamamoto; Tianchen Zhao; Taiga Uchiyama; Tomoyoshi Oikawa; Shinichi Niwa; Masaharu Tsubokura

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1292776

Disaster-related deaths with alcohol-related diseases after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident: case series

Front Public Health. 2024 Jan 15:11:1292776. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1292776. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Kemmei Kitazawa¹, Toyoaki Sawano^{1

2}, Yuna Uchi¹, Moe Kawashima¹, Hiroki Yoshimura¹, Michio Murakami³, Saori Nonaka¹, Hiroaki Saito^{1

4}, Mamoru Sakakibara⁵, Kazuko Yagiuchi⁶, Mako Otsuki⁷, Akihiko Ozaki^{8

9}, Chika Yamamoto¹, Tianchen Zhao¹, Taiga Uchiyama¹, Tomoyoshi Oikawa¹⁰, Shinichi Niwa¹¹, Masaharu Tsubokura¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan.
² Department of Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki, Japan.
³ Department of Health Risk Communication, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan.
⁴ Department of Internal Medicine, Soma Central Hospital, Fukushima, Japan.
⁵ Reinstatement Support Center for Nurses, Incorporated Foundation of Tokiwa-kai, Iwaki, Japan.
⁶ St. Olive Nursing Home, Shirakawa, Japan.
⁷ Department of Nursing, Fukushima Medical University Hospital, Fukushima, Japan.
⁸ Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki, Japan.
⁹ Department of Thyroid and Endocrinology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan.
¹⁰ Department of Neurosurgery, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, Minamisoma, Japan.
¹¹ Department of Psychiatry, Aizu Medical Center, Fukushima Medical University, Aizuwakamatsu, Japan.

Abstract

Introduction: The health of patients with mental disorders, such as alcohol-related diseases, often deteriorates after disasters. However, the causes of death among those with alcohol-related diseases during and after radiation disasters remain unclear.

Methods: To minimize and prevent alcohol-related deaths in future radiation disasters, we analyzed and summarized six cases of alcohol-related deaths in Minamisoma City, a municipality near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Results: Patients were generally treated for alcohol-related diseases. In one case, the patient was forced to evacuate because of hospital closure, and his condition worsened as he was repeatedly admitted and discharged from the hospital. In another case, the patient's depression worsened after he returned home because of increased medication and drinking for insomnia and loss of appetite.

Discussion: The overall findings revealed that, in many cases, evacuation caused diseases to deteriorate in the chronic phase, which eventually resulted in death sometime after the disaster. To mitigate loss of life, alcohol-related diseases must be addressed during the chronic phases of future large-scale disasters, including nuclear disasters.

Keywords: alcohol-related diseases; disaster-related deaths; evacuation; indirect-effect; radiation disaster.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Disasters*
Ethanol
Fukushima Nuclear Accident*
Humans
Male
Mental Disorders*
Nuclear Power Plants

Substances

Ethanol

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was financially supported by the Cabinet Office Japan and Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and the Program of the Network-type Joint Usage/Research Center for Radiation Disaster Medical Science.