Home mechanical ventilation in the aftermath of the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake disaster

Children who were dependent upon home mechanical ventilation (HMV), suffered in various ways from the disastrous Hanshin-Awaji earthquake disaster. The earthquake abruptly cut the supplies of water, gas and electricity, causing intense anxiety for those families. Through loss of the respirator function, some of them experienced an unexpected catastrophe. In the disaster area, there were children who were dependent upon HMV (19 cases) and children who were preparing for HMV in hospitals (nine cases). Information was gathered from questionnaires about the disaster, communication and correspondence with families. None of the 28 cases died or were injured. Nineteen cases had a variety of problems. In eight cases, respiratory support problems were acute. Nevertheless, all of them survived the crisis successfully even in the midst of such a catastrophic situation. An organization of HMV children's families, called the Baku-Baku Club, helped families with HMV problems by supplying water, food, oxygen and compressed air cylinders among other things. Additional outside batteries for portable respirators are essential equipment for HMV, especially for emergencies. A manual for clarifying the system for support in the Baku-Baku Club and a registration system for public medical service should be established in preparation for such a crisis.