Deep-vein thrombosis detection rates and consideration of the living environment in a tsunami disaster area during the disaster reconstruction phase: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: Tsunami victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake were screened for deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) in order to compare the DVT incidence rates between temporary and non-temporary housing resident groups. Material and methods: Lower extremity venous ultrasonography was performed on 290 subjects (64 men and 226 women; mean age = 71.9 ± 7.9 years) at 44 months after the disaster. All subjects completed questionnaires to gather information about their background factors which included the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale: K6. Results: The DVT detection rate was 10.7% in the temporary group. In the non-temporary group, it was 11.3% among the subjects who previously lived in temporary housing. For the subjects who were living in their own homes it was 9.2%. Psychological distress levels measured by K6 were significantly higher in the temporary housing group than in the non-temporary housing group. The multivariate analysis showed that the background factor associated with DVT risk was SV (soleal vein) dilatation in all subjects as well as in the non-temporary housing group, while hypertension and use of sleeping pills were found to be the factors in the temporary housing group. Conclusions: DVT detection rates were similar between the temporary and non-temporary housing groups, and were higher than that in the Japanese general population. The psychological distress level of the tsunami victims measured by K6 was also higher in the temporary housing group than in the non-temporary housing group. It is necessary to establish a long-term and awareness-raising disaster victim support system.