Oxford criteria

The Oxford criteria are a set of criteria for the diagnosis Chronic Fatigue Syndrome published in 1991 by a group of psychiatrists. They identify two broad syndromes and are used primarily for research purposes.

Chronic fatigue syndrome

 * fatigue is the principal symptom: it is severe, disabling and affects physical and mental functioning; it should have been present for a minimum of 6 months during which it was present for more than 50% of the time.
 * other symptoms may be present: particularly myalgia, mood swings and sleep disturbances.
 * definite onset of symptoms, not life-long.
 * exceptions: patients with established medical conditions known to produce chronic fatigue; also patients with a current diagnosis of schizophrenia, manic depressive illness, substance abuse, eating disorder or proven organic brain disease.

Post-infectious Fatigue Syndrome (PIFS)
A sub-type of CFS which either follows an infection or is associated with a current infection (although whether such associated infection is of aetiological significance (i.e. whether it is the cause of the symptoms) is a topic for research).

To meet the research criteria for PIFS patients must:
 * i. fulfil the criteria for CFS as defined above (i.e. the Oxford definition)
 * ii. should also fulfil the following additional criteria:
 * (a) There is definite evidence of infection at onset or presentation (a patient’s self-report is unlikely to be sufficiently reliable).
 * (b) the syndrome is present for a minimum of 6 months after onset of infection.
 * (c) the infection has been corroborated by laboratory evidence.

PDF for Oxford Definition CFS and PIFS
PDF: A report - chronic fatigue syndrome: guidelines for research - Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine - Volume 84 February 1991 118-121

Criticisms

 * Post-exertional malaise is not a listed symptom. When this symptom is not mandatory, patients with Chronic Fatigue and not the grossly misnamed disease Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are swept into the study.
 * Depression is not an absolute exception for a possible cause of Chronic Fatigue (not to be confused with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.) This allows for patients with depression to be misdiagnosed with CFS
 * US NIH Report Calls for UK Definition of ME/CFS to be Scrapped - The Argus Report By: Penny Swift "The United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) has issued a draft report that highlights the dire need for scientific research that will help find a cure for the millions of people suffering from myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) worldwide. The report also highlights the fact that the decades-old UK Royal Society of Medicine’s Oxford criteria for ME/CFS are severely “flawed,” and that continuing to use these criteria may “cause harm.” Further, the NIH report says that the Royal Society definition should “be retired” and replaced with a single case definition agreed to by the ME/CFS community."