Fukuda criteria

The Fukuda criteria (or CDC criteria) are a criteria for the diagnosis Chronic Fatigue Syndrome published in 1994. It has been widely used in research.

Definition
The concurrent occurrence of four or more of the following symptoms:


 * substantial impairment in short-term memory or concentration;
 * sore throat;
 * tender lymph nodes;
 * muscle pain;
 * multi-joint pain without swelling or redness;
 * headaches of a new type, pattern, or severity;
 * unrefreshing sleep; and
 * post-exertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours.

These symptoms must have persisted or recurred during 6 or more consecutive months of illness and must not have predated the fatigue.

Questionnaire
PDF By: IACFSME

Criteria, Exclusions and Severity.

Criticisms

 * Post-exertional malaise is not mandatory. (Although many researchers do use PEM option.)
 * Doctors not using PEM option have misdiagnosed Chronic Fatigue (CF) patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).
 * In research, if PEM option is not used the study is not considered by patients and many researchers to be a true CFS study; it is considered to be a (CF) study. Or both CFS and CF patients are in a CFS study as some patients have PEM and other patients do not making the study severely flawed and useless to either CFS or CF research.
 * It is not easy to use on a clinical level as it was created for research. It can take several specialists and years to diagnose a patient.
 * Dual diagnosis is not always possible and this is not useful in a clinical setting. (i.e., AIDS + CFS or MS + CFS.)
 * Leads to confusion over Chronic Fatigue (a symptom of many illness, depression, diseases, medications) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (a grossly misnamed disease.)