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CJD
A guide for GPs
Introduction
Written by Dr Richard Knight, Consultant Neurologist, and Dr Sophie Petit-Zeman, Consultant in Public Understanding of Science and Medicine with invaluable assistance from the CJD Support Network and the Human BSE Foundation.
In August and September 2001, the Brain and Spine Foundation, with support from the CJD Support Network of the Alzheimer’s Society, surveyed the experiences and needs of relatives and carers of those with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).
Only about 75 new cases are diagnosed annually in the UK. It is estimated that a GP would have to work for more than 300 years before they would see one case of CJD. Finding out about a rare condition which you may well never see and are not expected to diagnose without specialist input inevitably takes low priority amid heavy caseloads. However, many of those surveyed raised concerns about lack of knowledge about CJD among GPs.
This leaflet is therefore designed to help you to help your patients, support carers, and feel confident to answer their questions. It includes a brief guide to CJD, the diagnostic and care pathway, and highlights key concerns which trouble patients and carers. For more detailed information, see also the Brain and Spine Foundation Booklet, CJD: A guide for patients and carers which has also been written in response to the survey’s findings.
Only about 75 new cases are diagnosed annually in the UK. It is estimated that a GP would have to work for more than 300 years before they would see one case of CJD. Finding out about a rare condition which you may well never see and are not expected to diagnose without specialist input inevitably takes low priority amid heavy caseloads. However, many of those surveyed raised concerns about lack of knowledge about CJD among GPs.
This leaflet is therefore designed to help you to help your patients, support carers, and feel confident to answer their questions. It includes a brief guide to CJD, the diagnostic and care pathway, and highlights key concerns which trouble patients and carers. For more detailed information, see also the Brain and Spine Foundation Booklet, CJD: A guide for patients and carers which has also been written in response to the survey’s findings.
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