Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: A Review of Current Available Evidence and the Implications for Prehospital Emergency Care

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease effects 1 in 1 million people globally per year. It is an invariable fatal neurodegenerative disease belonging to the group of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.  This review aims to examine the current clinical evidence surrounding CJD, as well as present management techniques to assist in minimizing the effect of symptoms. This review also highlights the important role of paramedics in reducing mortality and morbidity. Methods: An electronic search was conducted using Medline (Via EBSCOHost), CINAHL, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Results: This search resulted in 265 articles. Articles unavailable as full text, those not available in English, those articles not peer reviewed, and review articles were all excluded from analysis. The remaining 16 articles met the search criteria and were included in this report. Conclusion: Scientific advancements are bringing a cure closer to reality, however further scientific research needs to be conducted. Training and education programs should be made available to prehospital workers to prevent further spread of infection.