Asthenia

From Anvita Health Wiki

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Etiology 3 Clinical-manifestations 4 Management 5 More General Terms 6 Additional Terms 7 References

Introduction

• Profound tiredness occurring after usual or minimal effort, accompanied by an unpleasant anticipatory sensation of generalized weakness.

Etiology

• serious renal, hepatic, cardiac or pulmonary disease
• damage to the CNS descending motor tracts
• tumor-associated effects

• cachexia
• anemia
• electrolyte disorders
• infection
• hypoxia

Clinical-manifestations

• no true weakness
• described by patients as fatigue & loss of stamina
• ability to perform tasks at least once

• rising from chair
• climbing stairs
• rising from knee bend

• inability to perform tasks repetitively

Management

• treat underlying etiology
• treat symptomatically

• pharmaceutical agents

• corticosteroids
• amphetamines
• megestrol

• non-pharmaceutical measures

• counselling
• physiotherapy
• occupational therapy

More General Terms

• muscle weakness

Additional Terms

• cachexia-anorexia syndrome

References

1. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 13th ed. Isselbacher et al (eds), McGraw-Hill Inc. NY, 1994, pg 132
2. Bruera & Neumann Canadian Medical Assoc. J (CAMJ):158:1717, 1998

asthenia