title: Prevalence of risk factors of prion-related disease according to the French circular 138 (DGS/DH/5C/DHOS/E2/2001/138) among patients referred for gastrointestinal endoscopy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of risk factors of prion-related disease transmission in a gastrointestinal endoscopy unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical evaluation of the risk of transmission of prion-related diseases using the criteria defined by the French circular 138 in patients referred for digestive endoscopy without anesthesia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1017 patients were included in this study. According to circular 138, 7 patients (0.68%) were at high risk of transmitting prion-related disease. According to these criteria, a high index of suspicion of prion-related disease was detected in 26 patients (2.55%). Clinical evaluation of risk was not possible for 56 patients (5.51%), due to coma or sedation (38 patients) or communication impairment (18 patients).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Application of circular 138 led us to consider that 2.55% of patients in this study had a high risk of prion-related disease. The circular criteria cannot be assessed in patients with sedation for mechanical ventilation, coma or communication impairment.
authors.affiliation: Service des maladies de l'appareil digestif, Hôpital Claude Huriez, Urgence Respiratoire et Réanimation Médicale, France. p-bulois@chru-lille.fr
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bulois
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Maunoury
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Houcke
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Durocher
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Durocher
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pasquier
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Paris
mesh_terms: D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D017096:Prion Diseases; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012307:Risk Factors