Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) has no standard laboratory test for diagnosis.  When a patient goes to his/her healthcare provider with many of the common complaints that goes along with CFS, many other disease processes, such as multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematous, must be ruled out.  Early on there was thought that CFS was related to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) that causes mononucleosis; however, there were too many people that had been diagnosed with CFS that had never had EBV.  Likewise, there are many healthy, unaffected people that have had EBV in the past and have never suffered from CFS.

Another issue related to CFS is whether or not it is a real problem or something that is fabricated in the sufferer's mind.  I have repeatedly seen physicians and nurses roll their eyes when a patient comes in with complaints of CFS.  I remember sitting in my Fundamentals of Nursing class and learning that pain is subjective and difficult to assess objectively.  Margo McCaffrey's definition of pain has been widely used..."Pain is whatever the person experiencing the pain says it is."  According to Anthony L. Komaroff, Asst. Professor of Medicine at Harvard, "...there is now considerable evidence of an underlying biological process in most (CFS) patients (which) is inconsistent with the hypothesis that (the syndrome) involves symptoms that are only imagined or amplified because of underlying psychiatric distress.  It is time to put that hypothesis to rest."

The following webliography provides a list of different sources of information about CFS.  Is it triggered by a virus?  Is it autoimmune?  Is it caused by a bacterium?  You decide...

          Komaroff, A. (2000).  The biology of the chronic fatigue syndrome.  American Journal of Medicine 108:99-105.


Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

http://www.cdc.gov/cfs/
This page offers excellent information about the causes, diagnoses, symptoms and treatments for CFS.  There is general information for the everyday consumer and more specific material for healthcare providers.  Links are available for continuing education, meetings and workshops, programs available for CFS and other related links.


The Mayo Clinic
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/DS00395
This information is provided by the Mayo Clinic, a reputable healthcare system.  There is good general information about the condition that would be helpful for those studying the topic for papers or research, as well as patients themselves.  The first page has a general definition but links are also available to look more specifically at risk factors, symptoms, tests, and treatments.


Science Magazine
Detection of an Infectious Retrovius, XMRV, in Blood Cells of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/1179052
A report that shows a link between xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) and CFS.  Multiple links available following the report.


Autoimmunity Research Foundation

http://autoimmunityresearch.org/
The Autoimmunity Research Foundation is a charity whose educational efforts are focused on letting Health Professionals, and the public, know the cause of Th1 chronic inflammatory disease...some believe CFS to be autoimmune.  A plethora of articles for patients and physicians are also available.


ABC News
Panel Pushes for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Name Change 

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Health/panel-pushes-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-change/story?id=11891485
An excellent article and video by ABC News, this story explains why experts are pushing for a name change for CFS.  Multiple video links and related articles about CFS also available.


CFIDS Association of America
Working to make CFS widely understood, diagnosable, curable and preventable

http://www.cfids.org/
A website dedicated to helping others learn about CFS.  This site links to information about "what's new" and CFS and new research being done.  There are also webinars available to watch.  Plus, this website offers a home page that cater to youth with CFS.