Nielk
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http://blog.oup.com/2015/03/iom-chr...r&utm_medium=oupacademic&utm_campaign=oupblog
continue hereThe Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently released their report regarding a new name (i.e., systemic exertion intolerance disease) and case definition for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). In brief, the IOM proposed that at least four symptoms needed to be present to be included in this new case definition: substantial reductions or impairments in the ability to engage in pre-illness levels of occupational, educational, social or personal activities; post-exertional malaise; unrefreshing sleep; and at least one of the two following symptoms: cognitive impairment or orthostatic intolerance.
Melvin Ramsay, the distinguished British physician who helped create the first diagnostic criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also specified four domains within the original ME case definition. However, in 1988, the Centers for Disease Control renamed this illness CFS, and expanded the case definition’s domains to eight. In addition to patient discontent over the name change to CFS, the muddled case definition had a number of problems as it is well known that as unexplained somatic symptoms increase, there is a greater likelihood of identifying individuals who have psychiatric comorbidities.