Drug Topics - January 28, 2008 - (Page 18) 18 DRUG TOPICS JANUARY 28, 2008 www.drugtopics.com CONTINUING EDUCATION An ongoing CE program of The University of Florida College of Pharmacy and DRUG TOPICS CE The University of Florida College of Pharmacy is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education ACPE # 012-99908-001-H01-P ACPE # 012-999-08001-H01-T Battling chronic fatigue syndrome Mary Hendrickson, R.Ph., MBA Director of quality and regulatory affairs Capital Returns, Inc. Milwaukee, Wis. This lesson is no longer valid for CE credit after 1/31/10. To obtain immediate CE credit, take the test online at www.drugtopics.com. Just click on the “Continuing Education” box on the Drug Topics home page, which will take you to the CE site. Log in, find and click on this lesson, and follow the three simple steps. Test results will be displayed immediately and you can print the certificate showing your earned CE credits. The authors disclose that they have no financial relationship with any manufacturer in this area of medicine. greater than six months that is not alleviated with considerable rest. Currently, it is estimated that at least one million people in the United States have CFS; however, less than 20% of people in this country have been diagnosed. The economic impact in the United States alone has been estimated at more than $9 billion annually. An increased awareness of CFS by healthcare providers may assist in diagnosis and treatment of these individuals. CFS has also been referred to as chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS) and myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), among other names. Pharmacists may encounter patients who have already been diagnosed with CFS or they may encounter individuals experiencing symptoms, but are yet to be diagnosed. This article will examine the causes, risk factors, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of individuals with CFS. A bout one million people in the United States have chronic fatigue syndrome. It is a disorder that is difficult to diagnose, but adds huge costs to the healthcare system. Chronic fatigue syndrome has also been referred to as chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome, debilitating fatigue, and myalgic encephalomyelitis, among other names. Introduction Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a perplexing disorder best characterized by persistent fatigue of CFS patient characteristics While the specific causes of CFS are unknown, some patient characteristics for the condition have been identified. It is important to note that this is another area that requires further research; however, typical risk factors or characteristics of patients diagnosed with CFS include the following: CFS can occur among all ethnic groups. Some evidence links African Americans and Latinos to a slightly greater risk than other ethnic groups. While the true occurrence rate is unknown, currently women are four times more likely than men to be diagnosed with CFS, although both men and women can develop the disease. It is thought that women may report symptoms more frequently than men, therefore accounting for the greater occurrence rate. For questions concerning PRINT CEs, call (352) 273-6275. For questions concerning ON-LINE CEs, call (866) 261-3558. Photo: Jim Shive http://www.drugtopics.com http://www.drugtopics.com
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