Natural disasters can impact on access to healthcare and medications, which can result in deterioration of chronic conditions.
Diabetes
| Issues impacting condition |
Potential outcomes |
Serious impact on blood glucose levels due to:
- Incorrect, damaged or no availability of insulin
- Physical and mental stress
- Physical activity
- Emotional responses of stress, fear, anxiety
- Hormonal responses of adrenaline, cortisol
- Inaccessibility to appropriate food and water supplies
- Hyperglycaemia (in some cases DKA)
- Unconsciousness
- Coma
- Death
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Cancer
| Issues impacting condition |
Potential outcomes |
Serious risk of contracting communicable disease due to compromised immunity:
- Poor sanitation
- Unsafe drinking water
- Evacuation to a population dense setting
- Spoiled food
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Cardiovascular disease
| Issues impacting condition |
Potential outcomes |
Serious risk of severe worsening or complications of condition due to:
- Limited access to medication
- Disruption to healthcare services
- Physical workload associated with clean-up and reconstruction
|
- Increased blood pressure
- Unstable angina
- Arrhythmia
- Heart attack
|
Chronic respiratory disease
| Issues impacting condition |
Potential outcomes |
Serious risk of sudden worsening of condition due to:
- Disruption to equipment (e.g. oxygen and nebulisers) and medications
- Overcrowding in shelters or temporary accommodation which increases exposure to airborne diseases and allergens
- Poor sanitation which can increase exposure to airborne mould spores
- Air pollution can also be a major concern, as can exposed asbestos if considerable damage to buildings
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- Exacerbations of condition
- Becoming oxygen dependent
- Pulmonary embolism
- Pneumothorax
- Increased risk of death within 90 days after a natural disaster
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Renal disease
| Issues impacting condition |
Potential outcomes |
Serious risk of condition worsening due to:
- Damage to equipment required to manage condition
- Lost medications
- Reduction in healthcare services
- Compromised water quality
- Poor sanitation
|
- Interrupting/discontinuing dialysis for more than three days is life threatening
- Essential for transplant recipients (kidney or other organs) to continue anti-rejection medication
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Prepare for asthma
In the lead up to late spring and summer, your practice can prepare by keeping a sufficient supply of in-date reliever medication and spacers on site.
