$Unique_ID{BRK00953}
$Pretitle{Ill Defined Symptoms and Rare Diseases}
$Title{What is "Creutzfelt-Jakob Disease"?}
$Subject{dementia aging Creutzfelt-Jakob}
$Volume{N-1}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


What is "Creutzfelt-Jakob Disease"?


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QUESTION:  I am a state certified nursing assistant.  I work in a nursing home
and have had contact with a resident who has "Creutzfelt-Jakob Disease".  What
can you tell me about this disease?

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ANSWER It is also called "subacute spongiform encephalopathy" and was first
described by Dr. H.G. Creuzfeldt in 1912.  It ius defined as a progressive,
inevitably fatal, slow viral disease of the central nervous system.  The
disease occurs world wide, but how it is spread from person to person is still
unknown.  It affects men and women alike, usually past the age of 50.  It is
probably due to some infecting organism, but a hereditary familial form has
been described.  The first signs of the disease are often self neglect, apathy
or irritability, with some patients complaining of weariness and fatigue,
while others speak of drowsiness, insomnia or other sleep disorders.  Within a
brief time, disorientation and confusion appear, and gradually many of the
higher intellectual functions of speech, reading and writing as well as smell,
become affected and are gradually lost. There may be many ocular disturbances
including a dimming of vision, and many abnormalities of movement with
rigidity of the limbs, and tremor present along with loss of power and an
altered gait.  All these signs and symptoms are a result of the gradual
degeneration of many areas in the brain.  Finally a dementia sets in and the
disease ends in death, after a brief 3 to 12 month course, commonly as the
result of the complication of a pneumonia.  There are no specific treatments
for the disease, except for routine care to help reduce symptoms.  Of
particular interest to you is the need for caution in handling all fluids or
other materials from these patients to prevent transmission.  Many standard
methods of sterilization are ineffective, and steam autoclaving at 132 degrees
Centigrade for 1 hour, or soaking in sodium hydroxide solution for 1 hour is
recommended for all materials.
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
