asthenia

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
• myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome
• 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