Questionnaire Survey Concerning the Insulin Storage Status During Long-term Power Outages on Hot Summer Days Following Typhoon Faxai (Typhoon 1915)

Abstract

Typhoon Faxai struck the Boso Peninsula in September 2019, caused a power outage of up to 26 days in Chiba Prefecture. Following the typhoon, Kamogawa City experienced three consecutive days of high temperatures. Given this situation, we suspected that some insulin that had been stored in refrigerators reached an inappropriate temperature. We therefore conducted an anonymous questionnaire survey to clarify the storage status of patients' insulin supplies during the power outage. The survey inquired about whether or not a power outage had occurred, the duration of the power outage, the status of the stored insulin, and recognition that insulin effectiveness of the re-refrigerated have not been confirmed. We received 67 responses. The power outage rate was 71 %, and the average power outage period was 3.2 days (0.2-10 days). Regarding the storage status, 79 % of insulin supplies were stored in a refrigerator, 11 % were stored in a cooler box with an ice pack, and 10 % were left out of the refrigerator. We therefore considered that a certain number of insulin preparations had reached an inappropriate temperature. In conclusion, we suggest raising awareness about insulin storage during disasters in consideration of power outages and high temperatures.