FATIGUE SECONDARY TO CHRONIC ILLNESS - POSTPOLIO SYNDROME, CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME, AND MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS

Estimates of the percentage of patients with postpolio syndrome, chron ic fatigue syndrome, and multiple sclerosis who experience fatigue ran ge from approximately 75% to 100%. In this study we describe the sever ity of fatigue and its impact on subjects with these three diagnoses. The Fatigue Severity Scale, the Human Activity Profile, and the Nottin gham Health Profile were used to measure fatigue, activity, and health status respectively of each diagnostic group as well as a control gro up. Using a Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance followed by a Bonferroni-adjusted Mann Whitney U test all diagnostic groups reported significantly higher levels (p = .0000 to p = .002) of fatigue and lo wer perceived health status than the control group. Subjects with chro nic fatigue and multiple sclerosis also had significantly reduced acti vity levels (p = .002 to p = .01) compared with the control group. Fur ther attention should be directed toward understanding the relationshi p between fatigue and ability to engage in activities as well as strat egies for remediation and/or compensation of the fatigue. (C) 1994 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Acad emy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation