Week 6 Non-organic fatigue Flashcards
what is fatigue
A state of physical or mental exhaustion with difficulty or inability to initiate or maintain activity. It can compromise on a person’s mental alertness, physical motor skills, judgement and decision-making.
time line of fatigue? cause?
Fatigue is common, usually short-lived, and often related to some identified cause
what does fatigue effect?
Fatigue can impact an individual’s work performance, and family and social relationships
how many patients in family medicine present with fatigue
1/5
sex differences in describing fatigue
- Men typically say they feel “tired”
- Women say they feel “depressed” or “anxious”
what is the lifetime prevalence of fatigue (>2 weeks)
25%
common causes of fatigue
overexertion, deconditioning, viral illness, upper respiratory tract infection, anemia, lung disease, medications, cancer, depression, and surgery
fatigue from recovering from surgery
6-12 weeks of fatigue is not unusual during recovery from even minor surgery
what is idiopathic fatigue
unknown cause
how many patients with psychaitric symptoms have fatigue
75%
what makes up the greatest proportion of fatigue cases?
- Fatigue of unknown cause (idiopathic fatigue) or related to psychiatric illness is a greater proportion of cases compared to fatigue due to physical illness, injury, alcohol, or medications
- No etiology can be identified in 1/3 of cases
fatigue and sleep
Sleep disorders, especially Obstructive Sleep Apnea and insomnia
syndromes, are common in patients with fatigue
fatigue and health outcomes
Fatigue in older adults increases the risk of developing negative health outcomes (mortality OR, 2.14), disabilities in basic activities of daily living (OR, 3.22), or the occurrence of physical decline (OR, 1.42)
Acute fatigue
lasts ≤ 1 month and is relieved with rest
subacute fatigue
lasts between 1 to 6 months
chronic fatigue
lasts ≥ 6 months and is not relieved with rest
acute vs subacute vs chornic fatigue
acute- <1 month, relieved with rest
subacute- 1-6 months, relieved with rest
chronic- >6 months and not relieved with rest
secondary fatigue
due to an underlying medical condition; may last ≥ 1 month but generally lasts < 6 months
physiologic fatigue
caused by a lifestyle imbalance in routines of sleep, exercise, diet, or other activity not attributed to an underlying medical condition; and is alleviated with rest
secondary vs physiologic fatiguer
secondary- from underlying medical condition
physiologic- lifestyle imbalance
3 major components of fatigue
- Generalized weakness (difficulty in initiating activities)
- Easy fatigability (difficulty in completing activities)
- Mental fatigue (difficulty with concentration and memory)
sleepiness vs fatigue
sleepiness: Temporarily aroused by activity, at least in the short-term
fatigue: intensified by activity
sleepiness: better after a nap
fatigue: Report lack of energy, mental exhaustion, poor muscle endurance, delayed recovery after physical exertion, nonrestorative sleep
sleep quality and quantity evaluation
- What time do you go to bed?
- What time do you fall asleep?
- After you lie down, how long does it take you to fall asleep?
- Do you leave the TV or radio on as you are attempting to fall asleep?
- After falling asleep, what time do you first wake up? What awakens you?
- How often do you use the bathroom at night?
- Do you have pain at night?
- How long does it take you to return to sleep after waking up? * What time do you get out of bed in the morning?
- Do you feel rested in the morning?
- Do you nap during the day?
- What medications do you take?
- Do you drink alcohol or use other drugs? * Do you exercise? What time of day?
epworth sleepiness scale
fatigue severity scale
xx
chronic fatigue
> 6 months
prevalence of chronic fatigue
gender or age?
5 – 40 per 100,000
Chronic fatigue occurs in all age groups, including children
* Women, minority groups, and the socioeconomically disadvantaged have a higher prevalence of chronic fatigue
groups with highest prevalence of chronic fatigue
women, minorities, low SES
how many patients with chronic fatigue dont meet the criteria for “chronic fatigue syndrome” – but share many similarities and have only a slightly better prognosis
2/3
resolution and improvement in chronic fatigue
- 64% of patients have limited improvement
- Only 2% of patients report complete long-term resolution of symptoms
poor prognosis in chronic fatigue
- Patients whose symptoms worsen for longer than 24 hours after physical exertion have a poor prognosis
what % of patients with chronic fatigue have a medical
or psychological explanation
70%
predominant causes of chronic fatigue
- Psychiatric disorders (depression or anxiety) are the
predominant causes - Approximately 25% of patients have an acute or chronic medical condition that is the cause of their fatigue
causes of chronic fatigue
social or personal factors (E.g., home and outside work, poor sleep, interpersonal problems, caregivers to ill family members, financial worries)
- Other studies point to social, geographic, environmental, and genetic factors are contributors to the development of fatigue and depression
referral and management of chronic fagtigu
treat underlying condition
adjust meds
follow ups
co-management referral
chronic fatigue syndrome is aka
systemic intolerance disease
systemic intolerance disease aka
Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (SEID), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)