Caring for tired patients

The article was written by Emergency Resuscitation Doctor, Emergency Resuscitation Department - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital

Everyone has experienced fatigue from hard work or insomnia. Fatigue, loss of energy and lethargy are very common symptoms in patients in different diseases. A patient who complains of fatigue is a difficult problem for the family physician because there are many possible explanations for fatigue. Dental diagnosis is difficult due to the confusion between the subjective nature of complaining and the actual fatigue caused by the disease.

Fatigue is common in the majority of the population and accounts for at least 20% of patients visiting a GP practice. Community surveys show that up to 50% of respondents experience fatigue.
This is also the reason for about 7 million visits and costs up to 1 billion US dollars per year. Valdini et al determined that 58% of patients who presented to their GP with a predominant complaint of fatigue were still fatigued one year after their initial visit. Chronic fatigue lasting more than 6 months in the general population accounts for the rate from 1775/100,000 to 6321/100,000 population.
There are a number of clinical symptoms that are considered to be the cause of fatigue, such as: low-grade fever, neurasthenia, nervous exhaustion, DaCosta syndrome, chronic Brucella, hypoglycemia, allergic syndrome systemic, candidiasis, and Epstein-virus infection - Chronic rash.
In 1987 the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) established the clinical definition for fatigue syndrome. Similar definitions are available in Australia. It is hoped that such classifications will help in finding the cause and successfully treating most of these conditions.
What are the characteristics of patients who visit their GP. The patient has two patterns of distribution: A peak at the age of 15-24 and a peak of 60, at least twice more in women than in men gender.

Viral syndrome mononucleosis Hepatitis Pharyngitis Endocarditis Urinary tract infections HIV infection

Side effects of alcohol and drug abuse drugs

Electrolyte disorders Hypothyroidism Hypoglycemia Diabetes Hyperthyroidism Hunger Diet obesity Adrenal insufficiency Tumor conditions Occult malignancy Leukemia lymphoma colon cancer

Atherosclerotic heart disease Heart valve disease Congestive heart failure Cardiomyopathy

Asthma/ COPD Allergic disorders

Anemia of pregnancy Systemic lupus erythematosus Iron deficiency Renal failure Depression anxiety mediation Stress from life circumstances alcohol and drug abuse Sexual dysfunction Spouse abuse, child abuse, or Other forms of domestic violence Occupational stress and job loss syndrome

From the first visit, the physician should begin to help the patient cope with the symptoms more effectively. The following are the basic principles of systemic management of patients with primary persistent fatigue.
Physicians must be concerned and concerned about the effects of patient fatigue as well as the causes of fatigue. Describing the symptoms' impact on the patient's life is an important step in understanding the symptom and in starting to manage the problem. Physicians should explain to patients at the first visit that the most common causes of fatigue are depression and psychological problems. The clinician should know for sure what this information means for the patient and whether the patient believes that psychological problems play a role in fatigue. The clinician should discuss other common causes of fatigue with the patient at the initial visit and ask the patient to consider these possibilities until the next visit. At the next visit the physician may ask if there is an opportunity on the patient's part to assess the potential for fatigue and if there is a new understanding of the problem. At each follow-up visit, the physician should continue to discuss family, occupational, psychosexual, and addictive issues. This could take place when specific biomedical tests assessing a patient's symptoms are underway. Even when this fatigue is caused by a physical disorder, it can have dramatic effects on family and career.
The physician may consider convening the family to survey the attitudes and intentions of other family members. This point is particularly important if the individual has a spouse or “significant other person” who may need to discuss occupational grievances and problems Giving patients photocopies of articles about Fatigue also has a doctor may be different. Giving you may be helpful. If the physician believes that the patient's condition is primarily a psychological factor, but the patient is reluctant to accept this explanation, then medical killing should be done slowly, step by step, and scheduled for 2nd time. to deepen the physician-patient relationship to continue discussing psychological issues. Family physicians should refer patients to a consultant only when and for professional purposes only. It is very important to contact a professional in advance, to avoid encountering unscrupulous professionals with psychological problems. Research shows that prolonged rest in fatigued patients seems to do more harm than good. In some surveys, in summary, acute fatigue can be seen in many serious diseases. Fatigue is not only essential for a broad biomedical differential diagnosis, but also requires a systematic approach for satisfactory diagnosis and management. Although patient complaints have changed, chronic fatigue is still a challenge for physicians, requiring immediate access to a psychophysiological diagnosis by a family physician.
Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the hospitals that not only ensures professional quality with a team of leading medical doctors, a system of modern equipment and technology. The hospital provides comprehensive and professional medical examination, consultation and treatment services, with a civilized, polite, safe and sterile medical examination and treatment space.