Family Medicine Flashcards
What could patients be referring to when presenting with fatigue?
- Lack of energy (physical and mental)
- Drowsiness (sleepiness not relieved by normal amounts of sleep)
- Weakness (muscle strength without a prominent mental component)
What is the Ddx for fatigue?
PS VINDICATE
- Psychogenic: depression, life stresses, anxiety disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia
- Physiologic: pregnancy, caregiving demands (young children, elderly)
- Sleep Disturbance: obstructive sleep apnea, sleep disorder, poor s-hygiene, BPH, shift work, pain
- Sedentary: unhealthy/sedentary lifestyle
- Vascular: stroke
- Infectious: viral (e.g. mono, hepatitis, HIV), bacterial (e.g. TB), fungal, parasitic
- Neoplastic: any malignancy
- Nutrition: anemia (Iron or B12 deficiency)
- Neurogenic: myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease
- Drugs: b-blockers, antihistamines, anticholinergics, benzodiazepines, antiepileptics, antidepressants
- Idiopathic: Idiopathic chronic fatigue, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Fibromyalgia
- Chronic Illness: CHF, lung disease (e.g. COPD), sarcoidosis, renal failure, chronic liver disease
- Autoimmune: SLE, RA, mixed connective tissue disease, polymyalgia rheumatica
- Toxin: substance abuse (e.g. EtOH), heavy metal
- Endocrine: hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, Cushing’s Syndrome, adrenal insufficiency, pregnancy
Red flags for fatigue?
Red Flags/Constitutional Symptoms: fever + weight loss + night sweats + neuro deficits + ill-appearing/cachexia
What should be asked on history if the patients reports sleepiness?
Excessive daytime sleepiness (falling asleep easier than normal, difficulty staying awake), obstructive sleep apnea symptoms (snoring, episodes of loud snoring alternating with quiet episodes of pauses in breathing, dry mouth, nasal congestion, morning headaches), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) may be used to assess the degree of sleepiness
What should be asked on history if the patients reports shortness of breath?
In patients reporting shortness of breath: history of cardiac or pulmonary disease - coughing, wheezing, and pleuritic or chest pain
Focal weakness, vision loss, or urinary incontinence may indicate
Multiple sclerosis
What should be asked on history if the patients reports weakness or lack of strength?
History of neurologic disease or myopathies, symptoms of muscle weakness during walking, household chores, exercise, and other activities of daily living
What are some possible physical exam findings for fatigue?
- Cardiac abnormalities such as murmurs, mitral regurgitation, or aortic valve pathology
- Pallor (anemia)
- Coarse skin or hair and weight gain (hypothyroidism)
- Goiter (thyroid hormone imbalance)
- Edema (heart failure, liver disease, or malnutrition)
- Poor muscle tone (advancing neurologic condition)
- Neurologic abnormalities (stroke or brain metastases)
What are some possible investigations for fatigue?
- Hematology: CBCd + electrolytes, BUN, Cr, ESR/CRP, glucose, TSH, ferritin, vitamin B12, serum protein electrophoresis, Bence-Jones protein, albumin, AST/ALT/ALP/GGT/Bilirubin, calcium, phosphate, ANA, b-HCG
- Other: urinalysis + CXR + ECG
- Serologies: Lyme disease, hepatitis B/C screen, HIV
- Mantoux Skin Test
Lifestyle changes for the treatment of fatigue?
Lifestyle changes: Sleep hygiene (no TV in bedroom, adequate sleep duration, consistent sleep/wake times), stress reduction (mindfulness exercises), exercise, EtOH/substances
Criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome?
1) New or definite onset of unexplained, clinically evaluated, persistent or relapsing chronic fatigue, not relieved by rest, which results in occupation, educational, social, or personal dysfunction
2) Concurrent presence of =>4 of the following, for 6 months
- Impairment of short-term memory/concentration, severe enough to cause decline in function
- Sore throat
- Tender cervical/axillary lymph nodes
- Myalgias
- Multi-joint arthralgias with no swelling or erythema
- New headache
- Unrefreshing sleep
- Post-exertion malaise lasting >24hour
Not otherwise explained by medical condition causing fatigue, psychiatric disorders (depression w/ psychotic or melancholic features, schizophrenia, eating disorders, substance abuse, severe obesity (BMI > 45)
Risk factors for spousal abuse
- Younger age
- Common law status
- Partner with substance abuse problem
- Marital separation
- Social isolation
- Hx of previous abuse/assault
Types of adult abuse
- Physical: hitting, pushing, biting, stab, shoot
- Emotional: threats, isolation, blackmail, humiliation, intimidation, extreme jealously
- Sexual: rape, unwanted touching
- Economic: denying funds, preventing work outside of home
Approach to adult abuse
- History: open-ended questions: “Are you in a relationship at the moment . . . How is the relationship going”
- Complete physical exam
Assessing safety risk for abused patients returning home
- What types of abuse are present
- Severity of injuries and frequency
- Nature of threats (threat of death)
- Presence of supports for victim and proximity to patient’s home
- Emergency plan in place
- Children involved