Surgery patients in New England are at risk of contracting Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

"Over the past week we have learned that 15 patients in New England were exposed to a rare infection called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) when neurosurgical instruments contaminated with the infection were used in their care. Each had undergone a brain or spinal surgery in early 2013, and now their future was uncertain.

Beyond the desire not to worry patients unnecessarily, Catholic Medical Center doctors were likely tempted to hide the error in sterilization technique. Yet doctors value transparency and trusting relationships with patients, and most patients want to be notified if physicians make an error or discover an abnormal finding incidentally."

http://news.msn.com/science-technology/whats-this-rare-and-fatal-brain-disease-in-the-northeastern-us

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Eight patients monitored for deadly Creutzfeldt-Jakob brain disease - CNN.com

Looking at this article on CNN, the quote "

The equipment had been used to operate on a patient now suspected of having Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)" (emphasis mine), it may be that the hospital or surgeon did not suspect the possibility of CJD, thus why disposable instruments or special sterilization techniques were not used.

My facility takes these cases seriously, even if just the tiniest suspicion of CJD exists. All supplies kept in the room are removed, all cabinets are emptied and covered with plastic sheeting, disposable instruments are used, staff in the room are required to wear togas (the same ones used for joint replacements) and are not permitted to leave the room until the case is finished and PPE can be removed, and an extra person is assigned to stand outside the room and act as runner for supplies. The room must then remain empty for 24 hours and be terminally cleaned.