Chapter Two, Course WB3151
Recognition and Diagnosis
Recognition and diagnosis of CFS can be challenging for health care professionals. Fatigue is a common symptom of many illnesses; between 10% and 25% of all patients who visit general practitioners complain of prolonged fatigue (Hickie et al., 1999). Symptoms that comprise CFS are common in other conditions. However, there are distinct patterns and features of CFS that allow it to be differentiated from other medical and psychiatric conditions. Diagnosis of CFS can be made only after a thorough history, physical and mental status exam, and appropriate laboratory testing to rule out diseases that may be responsible for the patient’s symptoms and for which specific treatment exists. CFS is essentially a diagnosis of exclusion.
Health care professionals from multiple disciplines may encounter CFS patients at any point in the evaluation and management process. Rehabilitation and behavioral professionals may see undiagnosed CFS patients who are seeking evaluation and treatment of pain disorders, poor physical function and mental health conditions (e.g., depression or somatization disorder). These patients may also seek care to help them cope with interpersonal and lifestyle changes, lack of stamina or employment problems stemming from poor health. CFS patients may also have secondary mood symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, for which they seek evaluation and treatment. Patients who present with symptoms of CFS, but have not been evaluated, should be referred to a primary medical care provider.
Content Source: National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases (ZVED)