An Alberta court ruling and new guidelines for physicians issued by the Quebec medical college are giving chronic fatigue syndrome a legitimacy it never before enjoyed. What will this mean for physicians?
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is gaining unprecedented legitimacy in Canada because of a recent Alberta count ruling, new guidelines from the Quebec medical college and recent research suggesting that the syndrome may have a biological basis. There is little doubt these developments will affect physicians across Canada.
Although viewed as a modern phenomenon, CFS was first reported by Hippocrates and has been known this century under various names: myalgic encephalomyelitis, Iceland disease, Epstein-Barr virus and yuppie flu. It has been labelled as CFS since 1988, and is currently estimated to affect 20 000 to 30 000 Canadian adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CFS involves chronic fatigue for at least 6 months and a minimum of 4 other symptoms (p. 519). Scientists and doctors have been debating its existence and symptoms for years, but the debate may be winding down because of an Alberta court case (p. 533).
In March an Alberta woman finally won her case against Crown Life when the court ruled that she qualified for long-term disability benefits because of CFS. The well-publicized case emphasized the difficulty physicians have in diagnosing the illness, and the Alberta College of Physicians and Surgeons hopes to respond with CFS guidelines within a year. Dr. Brian Ward, the assistant registrar in charge of standards, says the college’s interest “began long before the case.” He says it has received frequent complaints from patients with CFS who can’t find physicians willing to treat them or follow their conditions. “They’ve asked us to increase the level of awareness among physicians and to provide education,” says Ward.
You can read the rest of this article here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1229658/pdf/cmaj_159_5_537.pdf
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What causes chronic fatigue? [CMAJ. 1999]
What causes chronic fatigue? [CMAJ. 1999]
Source: Sibbald B. Chronic fatigue syndrome comes out of the closet. CMAJ. 1998 Sep 8;159(5):537-41. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1229658/