brain disease transmitted through surgery
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Hospital fears brain disease transmitted through surgery
Canberra Times : Tuesday, 14 September 2004
A Melbourne hospital warned more than 1000 former patients yesterday they may have contracted a rare and fatal brain disease from surgical instruments.
Although doctors say the risk of transmission is extremely small, the Royal Melbourne Hospital couriered letters to 1056 brain or spinal patients yesterday after confirmation of the rare Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease at the hospital.
http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=national&category=general%20news&story_id=335598&y=2004&m=9
So scary-next time better use traditional medicine- at least no harm can come from drinking herbs...........
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Hospital fears brain disease transmitted through surgery
Tuesday, 14 September 2004
A Melbourne hospital warned more than 1000 former patients yesterday they may have contracted a rare and fatal brain disease from surgical instruments.
Although doctors say the risk of transmission is extremely small, the Royal Melbourne Hospital couriered letters to 1056 brain or spinal patients yesterday after confirmation of the rare Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease at the hospital.
The hospital stressed that the disease was not the type of CJD known as variant CJD (vCJD) and commonly referred to as mad cow disease.
Concerns arose after a middle- aged Victorian man died earlier this year of CJD, which is one of the only diseases to withstand normal sterilisation processes.
The man underwent brain surgery at the hospital twice in 2003, but was diagnosed with the disease only last week.
The hospital has withdrawn its stock of 15,000 neurosurgical instruments pending their replacement and has begun sterilising its entire stock of 300,000 surgical instruments on the advice of the National CJD Incidents Committee.
Director of Neurosurgery Professor Andrew Kaye said patients who had undergone brain or spinal surgery during the past 18 months were being contacted as a precaution.
"There has not been a proven case of transmission of CJD between patients via surgical instruments in the past 30 years," he said.
"Expert advice is that there is only an extremely remote risk of transmission in this case." The last known case of probable transmission of the disease through neurosurgical instruments in Australia was during the 1970s.
There have been five reported cases world-wide of CJD being transmitted via contaminated neurosurgical equipment.
Professor Kaye said CJD was one of the few diseases which "can withstand normal sterilisation processes". If a patient was known to have or have had symptoms of CJD, then disposable surgical instruments were used.
The man who died of the disease was originally admitted to the hospital for treatment for malignant brain tumours, a condition not associated with CJD.
The last operation performed on the man at the hospital was six months before the symptoms of the disease became apparent.
"This has not arisen because of any breach of protocol or guidelines," Professor Kaye said.
Diagnosis of CJD was only possible during an autopsy via a test which took two months to complete. -
But consuming traditional medicine prepared from herbs also has its risks.
If you consume the wrong mixture of herbs, there may be adverse effects that will only surface years later...
I think that was what I read from somewhere.
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Medication ( herbal or regular pills) - risks : overdose, allergic reaction, toxicity to kidneys and liver, mental status related changes.
Surgery : risks : death, paralysis, brain damage, infection
Chiropractice : risks : breaking ur spine
Physiotherapy : risks : pain mo pain mo mo pain
Chemotherapy : risks : plenty galore like toxic reactions, dehydration due to vomiting , painful ulcers
radiotherapy: same as chemo cept gives u burnt marks
Hospitals: risks : Germ Central since only the sickest go in.....plus antibiotic resistant bacterias
Emerging diseases : SARS, Nipah virus related encephalities, CJD
My view : medical science is only at the tip of the ice......who knows what is coming beyond what we don't know
Best way is not to get sick at all
But then again
Humans : risk : we are only mortals with crappy immune systems at times -
Exercise discretion with alternative medicines
RECENTLY, there have been various letters on the adoption of alternative and complementary medicine for disease management, besides relying on conventional medicine.
We would like to take the opportunity to clarify certain issues.
Science-based medicine, which is often called 'Western' medicine, is themain form of health care sought in Singapore.
Many Singaporeans also turn to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and other types of natural and herbal treatments as a complementary form of health care.
The practice of 'Western' medicine is evidence-based, in which the efficacy of medical treatments is tested and supported by scientific research and clinical trials that are subject to peer review and international scrutiny.
Clinical trials were historically done in the West, hence the name 'Western' medicine.
Today, many of the clinical trials are international, and Singapore hospitals have participated in some of the clinical trials.
TCM and other complementary or alternative medicine therapies have not been studied in the same scientific manner.
We advise consumers to exercise discretion in evaluating the information available on the efficacy of TCM and alternative-medicine products and therapies.
KAREN TAN (MS)
Deputy Director
Corporate Communications
for Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Health -
A SHORT HISTORY OF MEDICINE
"Doctor, I have an ear ache."
2000 BC - "Here, eat this root."
1000 BC - "That root is heathen, say this prayer."
1850 AD - "That prayer is superstition, drink this potion."
1940 AD - "That potion is snake oil, swallow this pill."
1985 AD - "That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic."
2000 AD - "That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root!" -
