Patient trends in orthopedic traumas and related disorders after tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake: An experience in the primary referral medical center.

Background: In the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Japanese Red Cross Ishinomaki Hospital played an important role as a principal referral center within the Ishinomaki region, one of the most severely affected areas in eastern Japan. The present study describes the patient population, clinical characteristics, and time courses of the medical problems observed at this hospital.

Methods: A retrospective survey of medical logs and records was conducted on the first 2 weeks after the earthquake to characterize orthopedic traumas and related disorders treated during this catastrophe.