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Table 1 Characteristics of the included studies

From: The differential diagnosis of tiredness: a systematic review

First author, year

Country

Sample size

Symptom definition

Anaemia

Malignancy

Severe somatic disease

Depression

CFS

Friedlander, 1962 [43]

USA

71

“Unbearable fatigue”

     

Morrell, 1972 [29]

GB

58

New symptom that wasn’t brought up at a doctor’s visit during the last 12 months, main reason for encounter

X

    

Morrison, 1980 [15]

USA

176

Cause unknown

X

 

X

X

 

Jerrett, 1981 [16]

GB

300

Tiredness as a central problem (“tiredness”, “need of tonic”, “run down”, etc.)

X

X

X

X

 

Sugarman, 1984 [17]

USA

118

Cause unknown

X

 

X

X

 

Knottnerus, 1986 [44]

NL

174

New Symptom

X

    

Nelson, 1987 [45]

USA

71

At least 1 month, main reason for encounter

     

Kroenke, 1989 [46]

USA

82

3-year incidence of the symptom of 1000 randomly selected patient files

     

Valdini, 1989 [3]

USA

22

Since at least 1 year, cause unknown

X

 

X

X

 

Kirk, 1990 [30]

USA

71

Since at least 1 month, important problem

X

    

Cathebras, 1992 [2]

CDN

93

Through direct questioning (“Why did you come here today?”) or if the doctor indicated that tiredness was a reason for encounter

X

 

X

X

 

Elnicki, 1992 [18]

USA

52

Since > 1 month, cause unknown, main reason for encounter

X

 

X

X

X

Gerber, 1992 [14]

USA

88

Tiredness as one of the chief complaints

   

X

 

Ridsdale, 1993 [47]

GB

220

“being knackered, lethargic, run down or tired all the time”, since at least 2 weeks, main reason for encounter

X

X

X

  

Fuhrer, 1994 [5]

F

287

Since at least 2 weeks

   

X

 

Hall, 1994 [19]

GB

197

Diagnosis of tiredness in the patient’s file

   

X

 

Maeno, 2002 [20]

J

157

“General fatigue”, main reason for encounter

   

X

 

Andrea, 2003 [48]

NL

322

“Fatigue-related visite”

  

X

  

Darbishire, 2003 [11]

GB

141

Since at least 6 months, cause unknown

   

X

X

Gialamas, 2003 [49]

AUS

342

“Tiredness”, “fatigue”, “weariness”, “weakness”, “lethargy” or “malaise” in patient’s record

X

 

X

  

Kenter, 2003 [21]

NL

10.297

Episodes of care with tiredness as the reason for encounter

X

  

X

 

Vital Durand, 2004 [50]

F

120

Since at least 6 months, cause unknown

     

Belanger, 2005 [51]

CDN

36

“Fatigue” (no precise definition)

     

Kenter, 2007 [12]

NL

385

Diagnosis “tiredness”

   

X

 

Koch, 2009 [35]

NL

296

New symptom, cause unknown

X

 

X

  

Nijrolder, 2009 [22]

NL

571

New symptom (no encounter due to tiredness in the last 6 months), main reason for encounter

X

X

X

X

X