FOLLOW-UP AFTER THE HANSHIN-AWAJI EARTHQUAKE - DIVERSE INFLUENCES ON PNEUMONIA, BRONCHIAL-ASTHMA, PEPTIC-ULCER AND DIABETES-MELLITUS

We evaluated the influence of the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake on the pati ents in our internal medicine department, After the initial rush of pa tients with injury, the number of respiratory diseases, largely pneumo nia, increased within one month, This same event, however, seemed to d ecrease attacks among asthma patients, During the following three mont hs, the number of peptic ulcer patients increased: 39.5% had a giant g astric ulcer and 34.8% had bleeding-complications. Diabetic control of outpatients became worse after the earthquake, It is important to rec ognize that various disorders involving physical and psychological pro blems develop at different stages after a large-scale disaster.