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asthenia
Profound tiredness occurring after usual or minimal effort, accompanied by an unpleasant anticipatory sensation of generalized weakness.
Etiology:
1) serious renal, hepatic, cardiac or pulmonary disease
2) damage to the CNS descending motor tracts
3) myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome
4) tumor-associated effects
a) cachexia
b) anemia
c) electrolyte disorders
d) infection
e) hypoxia
Clinical manifestations:
1) no true weakness
2) described by patients as fatigue & loss of stamina
3) ability to perform tasks at least once
a) rising from chair
b) climbing stairs
c) rising from knee bend
4) inability to perform tasks repetitively
Management:
1) treat underlying etiology
2) treat symptomatically
a) pharmaceutical agents
- corticosteroids
- amphetamines
- megestrol
b) non-pharmaceutical measures
- counselling
- physiotherapy
- occupational therapy
Related
cachexia-anorexia syndrome
General
muscle weakness
References
- Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 13th ed.
Isselbacher et al (eds), McGraw-Hill Inc. NY,
1994, pg 132
- Bruera & Neumann Canadian Medical Assoc. J (CAMJ):158:1717,
1998