Introduction:
In Japan, the number of foreign residents for the purpose of technical training and language training for employment or work has been increasing. They sometimes receive medical examinations for renal disorders during their stay, and we investigated the actual situation.
Methods:
The subjects were foreigners who stayed in Japan for language training, technical training, or employment and visited our hospital between April 2021 and June 2024. We examined the subjects' age, sex, purpose of stay, country of origin, length of time since arrival in Japan, reason for visit, diagnosis, intervention, and prognosis.
Results:
Of the 27 foreigners who visited our facility, 5 were employed, 5 were technical interns, and 1 stayed for the purpose of Japanese language training. The average age was 31 years, and the male ratio was 63.6%. As for nationality, 5 were from Vietnam, 2 from the Philippines, and 1 each from Nepal, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Indonesia. The average time from arrival in Japan was three years. The reasons for the visits were abnormal urinalysis in 7 patients, renal impairment in 2, and edema in 2, 6 of whom had abnormalities noted during health checkups in Japan. Among them, six patients underwent inpatient examination, and four patients underwent renal biopsy. The diagnosis and prognosis were as follows: 2 patients had nephrosclerosis and were followed up with dietary guidance; 4 patients had IgA nephropathy and were treated by tonsillectomy with steroid pulse therapy, which resulted in improvement or resolution of urinary findings; and 2 patients had minimal change nephrotic syndrome and were in remission with steroids. On the other hand, a woman with a creatinine of 10.5 mg/dL at the initial visit was started on maintenance dialysis, and two patients who were deemed to need renal biopsy dropped out.
Conclusions:
Although most cases responded well to treatment intervention, there were scattered cases with abnormalities prior to their arrival in Japan, suggesting that there is room for improvement in checking renal function in foreigners who stay in Japan for work purposes.
I have no potential conflict of interest to disclose.
I did not use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process.