March 2011 Japan Earthquake, Tsunami, and Radiation Release: Data from the National Poison Data System

INTRODUCTION: US poison centers (PCs), a nationwide 24/7 public health resource, partnered with CDC and other public health entities during the March 2011 Japan earthquake, tsunami, and radiation release event. Travelers from Japan with exposures or concerns about radionuclide contamination or radiation antagonists were instructed by CDC to contact PCs. PCs track calls from the public and health care professionals using a standardized electronic database with call data uploaded to AAPCC's National Poison Data System (NPDS) every 19 minutes. We describe NPDS calls regarding the event. METHODS: NPDS was queried for 2011 closed cases about the event. Cases were summarized using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: NPDS reported 426 cases: 70 (16%) human exposures; 356 (84%) information calls. Nearly all calls (80% exposure; 84% information) occurred in March, with the most recent call, an exposure, occurring in September. For exposures, median age was 33 years (10 months – 65 years), and females outnumbered males (n=42; 60%). Most exposures (61%) were unintentional, while 24 (34%) were either adverse reactions or intentional exposures involving radiation antagonists. Clinical effects included: other (10%), nausea (7%), dizziness/vertigo (6%), abdominal pain (3%), headache (3%), pain (not dermal, GI, ocular) (3%). Of the 33 exposures followed to a known outcome, 2 (6%) were moderate with no deaths reported. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: PCs played a valuable role in this event's public health response and interacted with a variety of public health agencies. In addition, NPDS provides a real-time surveillance system to monitor evolving public health issues and associated clinical effects and outcomes.