As scare over rare prion disease eases, Maine Medical Center resumes surgeries : pressherald

as declared in pressherald

As scare over rare prion disease eases, Maine Medical Center resumes surgeries

As scare over rare prion disease eases, Maine Medical Center resumes surgeries

Administrators at Maine Medical Center do not yet know whether a small group of patients was exposed to surgical equipment that also was used to treat a patient who may have a rare, pathogen-based brain disease.Doctors learned Tuesday that biopsy results showed a patient at the hospital exhibited preliminary signs of prion disease, a rare brain condition that affects about one in a million people in the U.S. annually and is always fatal.Although the chance of transmitting prion disease through sterilized surgical tools is exceedingly low, research shows that the standard procedure for sterilizing hospital equipment does not kill the pathogen.Staffers are examining records to determine what equipment was used in which procedures in the days between when the original patient underwent an unspecified procedure and when that patient's test results showed a possible prion-related diagnosis.


in the same way bangordailynews

Why a suspected brain disease has a Maine hospital on alert

Why a suspected brain disease has a Maine hospital on alert

Maine Medical Center postponed elective surgeries at its Portland campus for two days this week in response to a patient suspected of carrying a rare but dangerous pathogen that's resistant to sterilization.The patient is being tested for prion disease, a rapidly degenerative illness that leads to brain damage and eventually death.The diagnosis has not been confirmed, MMC said in a statement.The MMC patient, who was not identified for privacy reasons, underwent a biopsy that came back as suspicious for prion disease, the hospital said in an FAQ posted to its website.


in addition wgme

Rare prion disease delays Maine Med surgeries

Rare prion disease delays Maine Med surgeries

PORTLAND (WGME) -- A patient at Maine Med is suspected of having prion disease, although that diagnosis hasn't been confirmed.Even though it's not a confirmed case the hospital is taking every precaution including postponing surgeries both Wednesday and Thursday.Prion disease is a rare brain disorder that folds cells in the brain into abnormal shapes.Patients suffer brain damage and then die.