[Examination for deep vein thrombosis in the Iwate Sanriku coastal area stricken by the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster in 2011--measurement of D-dimer using POCT apparatus].

After the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster in 2011, examinations for below the-knee deep vein thrombosis (BK-DVT) were carried out to prevent victims from secondary health damage by Iwate Prophylactic Examination Organization from economy-class syndrome. In this examination, D-dimer was measured using cobas h 232, a point-of-care testing (POCT) apparatus, in addition to medical interview, blood pressure measurement, and lower limb vein sonography. In the BK-DVT examination carried out in Tanohata in October and in Miyako in November 2012, the BK-DVT-positive number(percentage) in lower limb vein sonography was six (13.3%) in Tanohata and four (4.1%) in Miyako among 136 subjects (average age of 69.0 +/- 11.9, male:female sex ratio of 28:108). D-dimer in BK-DVT-positive subjects was 1.31 +/- 1.27 microg/mL, significantly higher than that in BK-DVT-negative subjects without cardiac diseases (0.46 +/- 0.50 microg/mL, p < 0.05). Eight subjects (5.6%) with higher D-dimer values were immediately referred to the nearest hospital. It was shown that the POCT apparatus was very useful when lifelines were not available and when the examination was performed in refuges since they are small, light and simple to operate, and the medical technologists played important roles in various examinations because of their high skill and abilities.