Cadaver Carelessness

spreebee · Oct 11, 2007

Theoretically, I've heard that CJD prions can be transmitted through "Bone Dust" since the fixation methods don't inactivate the protein. In gross anatomy lab today, the professors assistants were using bone oscillators to cut through ribs without warning... Bascially, everyone got a good breath of "Bone Dust." Do U.S. schools have these cadavers pre-screened for such diseases?

SemperJeff · Oct 11, 2007

spreebee said:
Theoretically, I've heard that CJD prions can be transmitted through "Bone Dust" since the fixation methods don't inactivate the protein. In gross anatomy lab today, the professors assistants were using bone oscillators to cut through ribs without warning... Bascially, everyone got a good breath of "Bone Dust." Do U.S. schools have these cadavers pre-screened for such diseases?

lol i hope so... we've pulled out the bone saws one more than one occasion... next thing you know there's this awful smell... and you know you've inhaled...

NCF145 · Oct 11, 2007

spreebee said:
Theoretically, I've heard that CJD prions can be transmitted through "Bone Dust" since the fixation methods don't inactivate the protein. In gross anatomy lab today, the professors assistants were using bone oscillators to cut through ribs without warning... Bascially, everyone got a good breath of "Bone Dust." Do U.S. schools have these cadavers pre-screened for such diseases?

All of our cadavers have a cause of death listed on their respective tanks.

mints of b · Oct 11, 2007

NCF145 said:
All of our cadavers have a cause of death listed on their respective tanks.

That heart attack may have bit you in the ass before the latent prions.

NCF145 · Oct 11, 2007

mints of b said:
That heart attack may have bit you in the ass before the latent prions.

True, but the chances of dying of a heart attack/stroke/MOF/any other physiological condition while being infected and asymptomatic for CJD is highly unlikely. Feel free to worry away though.

spreebee · Oct 11, 2007

NCF145 said:
True, but the chances of dying of a heart attack/stroke/MOF/any other physiological condition while being infected and asymptomatic for CJD is highly unlikely. Feel free to worry away though.

I guess your right... CJD is like 1-5 cases per million people...

Depakote · Oct 11, 2007

NCF145 said:
True, but the chances of dying of a heart attack/stroke/MOF/any other physiological condition while being infected and asymptomatic for CJD is highly unlikely. Feel free to worry away though.

Med Students... always watching out for the zebras while the lion sneaks up right behind them.

EDIT: yes, I know I'm mixing my metaphors.

BerkeleyMD · Oct 11, 2007

spreebee said:
I guess your right... CJD is like 1-5 cases per million people...

plus once you hit head and neck you all will be inhaling that bone dust like its nothing. you figure your anatomist has been in lab for probably decades and he or she is still okay.. and you'll only be in there for a few months. nothing to worry about. it was something we all laughed about after that prion lecture in biochem..

45408 · Oct 11, 2007

Depakote said:
Med Students... always watching out for the zebras while the lion sneaks up right behind them.

EDIT: yes, I know I'm mixing my metaphors.

people in glass houses sink ships

PeepshowJohnny · Oct 11, 2007

TheProwler said:
people in glass houses sink ships

A bird in the hand is worth two gathering moss.

Ashers · Oct 11, 2007

Early to bed, early to rise, makes Jack a dull boy.

nlax30 · Oct 11, 2007

We'll burn that bridge when we come to it.

Depakote · Oct 12, 2007

It's not rocket surgery.

NCF145 · Oct 12, 2007

Depakote said:
It's not rocket surgery.

Is that a fellowship or an integrated residency?

leviathan · Mar 4, 2009

I was told by our anatomy course director that they had a case of CJD a few semesters ago and all the bodies had to be burned. I don't know if I believe that or not, but that was his story.

Bushido416 · Mar 4, 2009

you'll be fine but i think you may have caught a case of hypochondriasis the cure is well there isn't one just make peace with dying today and life is good

sprinkibrio · Mar 4, 2009

Aren't you guys more worried about when you take out the brain? We just learned that since prions are proteins they aren't inactivated by normal detergents, etc. Does formaldehyde eliminate them at all?

ChiDO · Mar 4, 2009

sprinkibrio said:
Aren't you guys more worried about when you take out the brain? We just learned that since prions are proteins they aren't inactivated by normal detergents, etc. Does formaldehyde eliminate them at all?

Doubt your lab still uses formaldehyde.

sprinkibrio · Mar 4, 2009

ChiDO said:
Doubt your lab still uses formaldehyde.

Yeah, no idea, but whatever is in there, do you think it will kill a *protein*? I'm leaning towards no because my body last year was nice and solid.

Edit:
so there are a bunch of articles on prion-contaminated growth horomone and it comes from cadavers! so i answered my own question. something else for you guys to worry about!

themule · Mar 4, 2009

sprinkibrio said:
Yeah, no idea, but whatever is in there, do you think it will kill a *protein*? I'm leaning towards no because my body last year was nice and solid.

Edit:
so there are a bunch of articles on prion-contaminated growth horomone and it comes from cadavers! so i answered my own question. something else for you guys to worry about!

Your kidding right? 1. Proteins aren't "alive" 2. Growth hormone was taken from the pituitaries of relatively fresh cadavers, not embalmed cadavers. And this is no longer done.

sprinkibrio · Mar 4, 2009

themule said:
Your kidding right? 1. Proteins aren't "alive" 2. Growth hormone was taken from the pituitaries of relatively fresh cadavers, not embalmed cadavers. And this is no longer done.

Excuse me, degrade not kill. GOD. Viruses aren't alive either, but people talk about them the same way because they propagate themselves just like prions. Taken micro yet?

As for the growth horomone, I know this is no longer done--irrelevant, but I assumed they were preserved cadavers, so thanks for the clarification.

Anyone have an intelligent contribution instead of now TWO dissections of my posts? I suppose those who dissect and don't answer do so because they don't have the answer. DARN.

Mr hawkings · Mar 5, 2009

sprinkibrio said:
Excuse me, degrade not kill. GOD. Viruses aren't alive either, but people talk about them the same way because they propagate themselves just like prions. Taken micro yet?

As for the growth horomone, I know this is no longer done--irrelevant, but I assumed they were preserved cadavers, so thanks for the clarification.

Anyone have an intelligent contribution instead of now TWO dissections of my posts? I suppose those who dissect and don't answer do so because they don't have the answer. DARN.

Neutral buffered formalin that a lot of schools use forms comlexes with proteins that alters their tertiary and seconodary structure. That is why histologists often need to do antigen retrieval on fixed tissues before immunohistochemisty staining.
By definition, tissues that are properly fixed should be non-infectious.

Besides, even if they ared properly fixed, those cadavers are dead for a while before you get to dissect them. So if they arent fixed properly, the natural degradation process would take place and you would probably smell it the moment you took a bone saw to that head. Unfixed brain tissue turns into soup pretty quickly.

Mr hawkings · Mar 5, 2009

sprinkibrio said:
Yeah, no idea, but whatever is in there, do you think it will kill a *protein*? I'm leaning towards no because my body last year was nice and solid.

Edit:
so there are a bunch of articles on prion-contaminated growth horomone and it comes from cadavers! so i answered my own question. something else for you guys to worry about!

The tissues being more solid than soft is a good sign of good perfusion by the fixative.

PeepshowJohnny · Mar 5, 2009

You're more likely to be hit and killed by a bus crossing the street to enter your medical school than for this to be a problem.

kevster2001 · Mar 5, 2009

CJD from cadaver bone dust is going to be least of your worries in terms of contagious diseases during your medical training

WellWornLad · Mar 5, 2009

I'm too busy dodging flying scalpels to worry about this crap...

Depakote · Mar 5, 2009

sprinkibrio said:
Excuse me, degrade not kill. GOD. Viruses aren't alive either, but people talk about them the same way because they propagate themselves just like prions. Taken micro yet?

I agree with you, but my virology prof is quite passionate about viruses being living beings (among other things) 🙄

45408 · Mar 6, 2009

sprinkibrio said:
Aren't you guys more worried about when you take out the brain? We just learned that since prions are proteins they aren't inactivated by normal detergents, etc. Does formaldehyde eliminate them at all?

I strongly recommend avoiding eating the brains. It might be part of your zombie lust, but it's not worth the risk.

DocPsychosis · Mar 6, 2009

TheProwler said:
I strongly recommend avoiding eating the brains. It might be part of your zombie lust, but it's not worth the risk.

God, you just won't let us have any fun. 😡

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