Table 2 Fukuda definition-positive subjects conforming or not conforming to the Canadian case definition
From: A Disease Register for ME/CFS: Report of a Pilot Study
| Â | Cases fulfilling case definition (n = 122) | Cases not fulfilling case definition (n = 87) | 95% confidence interval (difference in percentages) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Â | No. | % total | No. | % total | Â |
Age Group: < 25 | 1 | 0.8 | 4 | 4.6 | -8.6 - 1.0 |
   25-34 | 15 | 12.3 | 6 | 6.9 | -2.7 - 1.5 |
   35-44 | 32 | 26.2 | 19 | 21.8 | -7.5 - 1.3 |
   45-54 | 43 | 35.2 | 28 | 32.2 | -10.2 - 1.3 |
   55-64 | 27 | 22.1 | 30 | 34.5 | -25.0 - 0.3 |
   65+ | 4 | 3.3 | 1 | 1.1 | -1.8 - 6.1 |
Sex: Male | 25 | 20.5 | 15 | 17.2 | -7.7 - 14.2 |
   Female | 97 | 79.5 | 72 | 82.8 | -14.2 - 7.7 |
How often do you have tiredness/fatigue? | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Occasionally | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1.1 | -3.4 - 1.1 |
   < 3 times/week | 0 | 0.0 | 7 | 8.0 | -13.9 - -2.2 |
   Every day or nearly every day | 122 | 100.0 | 79 | 90.8 | 3.0 - 15.4 |
Were your activities (personal, social, professional, at home) affected by the symptoms of tiredness/fatigue? | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Not at all | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0- 0.0 |
   A little | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0- 0.0 |
   Needed to reduce | 11 | 9.0 | 36 | 41.4 | -44.1 - -20.6 |
   Can no longer do | 111 | 91.0 | 51 | 58.6 | 20.6 - 44.1 |
Would you say that your activities were reduced to < 50% than before you fell ill? | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Yes, by > 50% | 116 | 95.1 | 70 | 80.5 | 5.3 - 24.0 |
   No, by 50% or less | 4 | 3.3 | 10 | 11.5 | -15.8 - -0.7 |
   Don't know | 2 | 1.6 | 6 | 6.9 | -11.2 - 0.6 |
Would you say that your fatigue is debilitating and affects your mental and physical functioning? | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Yes | 122 | 100.0 | 79 | 90.8 | 3.0 - 15.4 |
   No | 0 | 0.0 | 4 | 4.6 | -9.1 - -0.1 |
   Don't know | 0 | 0.0 | 3 | 3.4 | -7.4 - 0.5 |
Pain level (where 0 = no pain, and 10 = pain as bad as possible) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Mean | 6.0 | 4.6 |  | ||
   95% confidence interval | 5.6 - 6.4 | 2.5 - 3.1 |  | ||
   Standard deviation | 2.4 | 2.8 |  | ||
   Median | 6 | 5 |  | ||
   Interquartile range | 5-8 | 2-7 |  | ||
   No. reporting no pain | 2 | 9 |  | ||
   No. reporting maximum pain | 5 | 3 |  | ||
Fatigue level on recruitment (where 0 = no problem, and 100 = the most severe health impediment) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Mean | 65.7 | 54.3 |  | ||
   95% confidence interval | 61.0 - 70.4 | 50.0 - 58.6 |  | ||
   Standard deviation | 26.1 | 21.0 |  | ||
   Median | 70 | 50 |  | ||
   Interquartile range | 50-80 | 50-70 |  | ||
   No. reporting no fatigue | 2 | 2 |  | ||
   No. reporting max. possible fatigue | 15 | 1 |  | ||