Economy Class Syndrome

The evacuees in Kumamoto cannot stay in their house, which may be collapsed with consecutive earthquakes. A number of them spend time in their automobile in parking spaces. But, they have to sleep in narrow space inside the car, bending their knees, arms and body. That unusual life causes a disease called economy class syndrome, which disturbs circulatory system of human body. One woman died with the disease for the first time on Tuesday as the collateral damage of the earthquake.

Economy class syndrome was named after a symptom of airplane passengers who was forced to be in the same position in the economy class for a long time. When a human sits on the seat with same position for a long time, flow of blood in arms or legs slows down and blood clot is likely to be produced in the vein. If the clot goes into lung through blood circulation system, it will cause respiratory distress. It may lead to a fatal consequence.

A woman in Kumamoto city, age of 51, had been staying with her husband in her car parking beside her house after consecutive earthquakes started. When she got off the car on Monday, she fell down to the ground, hitting her head, and fainted away with snoring. After ambulance transported her to a hospital, her death was confirmed. She was diagnosed to be in economy class syndrome.

Mainichi Shimbun found that twenty-one people in the hospitals in Kumamoto city were diagnosed to be in economy class syndrome, some of which are in serious condition. Two out of ten patients of the syndrome got cardiopulmonary arrest in one of those hospitals after Sunday morning.

Why do they have to stay in cars? Local governments registered public facilities, such as schools, as asylum for the people who could not stay in their houses for some reason. But, people do not like to be with others in deteriorated privacy. Most of them want to take care of their houses, staying beside. It is warm enough in Kumamoto for spending nights in cars. But, the situation can damage the people who have chronic illness.

To avoid economy class syndrome, it is crucial to intake enough water. But, because of uneasiness in excretion, compared to men, women tend to refrain from having water. That is why most patient of the syndrome are women. It is necessary for local government to distribute more portable toilet or to hire as much medical personnel for taking care of the evacuees. But, the supply chain is still in disorder, caused by earthquakes looking unstoppable.