ABSTRACT
Revisión retrospectiva de casos de enfermedades por priones atendidos en nuestro hospital a lo largo de 17 años. El objetivo fue establecer pautas específicas de cuidados, normas y actitud, para conseguir mayor conocimiento, eficacia y calidad en la atención a estos pacientes, además de asesorar a todos aquellos equipos implicados, dados los avances en la investigación de los últimos años y la ausencia de publicaciones en enfermería sobre este tema. (AU)
Subject(s)
Prion Diseases/nursing , Treatment Outcome , Quality of Health Care/standards , Quality of Health Care/organization & administration , Retrospective Studies , Prion Diseases/diagnosis , Prion Diseases/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Prion diseases are fatal, infectious, neurodegenerative disorders with special implications for infection control in the OR. The causative agent is highly resistant to disinfection and sterilization processes and has been transmitted during health care interactions. It is important to use evidence gained through research and case reports to minimize risk of infection. This article describes an infection control protocol developed for identifying high-risk patients, providing perioperative care, decontaminating the OR, and protecting health care personnel. This protocol provides multidisciplinary team members with a guideline for preventing transmission of these fatal diseases.
Subject(s)
Infection Control/standards , Operating Room Nursing/standards , Prion Diseases/nursing , Prion Diseases/prevention & control , Clinical Protocols , Disinfection/methods , Evidence-Based Medicine , Humans , Iatrogenic Disease/prevention & control , Infection Control/methods , Iowa , Prion Diseases/transmission , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
The spongiform encephalopathies may be caused by prions, infectious pathogens that differ from all other infectious agents in that they do not have deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or ribonucleic acid (RNA). Very difficult to inactivate, they are composed of an abnormal protein. It is believed by many that prions cause sporatic and genetic neurodegenerative diseases, including scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy in animals and kuru, fatal familial insomnia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease in humans. Another, the new variant CJD in humans in England, is an example of a breech in the species barrier between humans and animals. Transmitted primarily via exposure to infected brain or spinal cord tissue or blood, there have been numerous iatrogenic cases from contaminated pituitary hormones, surgical equipment, dural grafts, corneal transplants and others. All facets of blood product manufacturing have been affected. Nurses should be aware of the latest developments, and able to practice infection control while providing the best patient/family information possible.
