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Volume 10, Number 9—September 2004
Dispatch

Barriers to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Autopsies, California

Janice K. Louie*†Comments to Author , Shilpa S. Gavali*, Ermias D. Belay‡, Rosalie Trevejo†, Lucinda H. Hammond*, Lawrence B. Schonberger‡, and Duc J. Vugia*†
Author affiliations: *California Emerging Infections Program, Richmond, California, USA; †California Department of Health Services, Berkeley, California, USA; ‡Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Main Article

Table 1

Knowledge and experience of California neurologists, pathologists, and neuropathologists in diagnosing Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)

Characteristic Neurologists 
n/N (%) Pathologists 
n/N (%) Neuropathologists 
n/N (%)
Have evaluated a case of CJD 212/310 (68) 56/259 (22) 18/33 (55)
Median no. (range) of CJD cases evaluated 3 (0–30) 2 (0–30) 10 (0–50)
Type of practice
  Private practice/private hospital 144/308 (47) 122/278 (44) 8/33 (25)
  Outpatient HMOa/managed care 55/308 (18)
  Community hospital/clinic 1/308 (<1) 68/278 (24) 4/33 (12)
  University affiliated 82/308 (27) 37/278 (13) 10/33 (30)
  Veterans hospital 13/308 (4) 3/278 (1) 1/33 (3)
  County medical examiner or coroner 7/278 (3) 2/33 (6)
  Other 15/308 (5) 41/278 (15) 5/33 (15)
Can recognize the clinical or pathologic features of classic CJD 255/307 (83) 96/273 (35) 25/28 (89)
Can recognize the clinical or pathologic features of variant CJD 120/305 (39) 40/274 (15) 18/28 (64)
Have not considered arranging for an autopsy for CJD patients under their care 74/207 (36)
Pathology group available at facility to perform autopsy on suspect CJD cases 223/297 (75) 74/259 (29) 17/28 (61)
Pathology group available at facility to confirm diagnosis of suspect CJD with histopathologic analysis 223/297 (75) 91/254 (36) 18/27 (67)

aHMO, health maintenance organization.

Main Article

Page created: March 29, 2011
Page updated: March 29, 2011
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The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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