Patients with severe disease may develop a colonic ileus or toxic dilatation and present with abdominal pain and distension but with minimal or no diarrhea. Complications of severe C. difficile colitis include dehydration, electrolyte disturbances, hypoalbuminemia, toxic megacolon, bowel perforation, hypotension, renal failure, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, sepsis, and death.
Criteria
Interpretation of Dengue Diagnostic Tests
Dengue virus infection produces a broad spectrum of symptoms, many of which are non-specific. Thus, a diagnosis based only on clinical symptoms is unreliable. Early laboratory confirmation of clinical diagnosis may be valuable because some patients progress over a short period from mild to severe disease and sometimes to death. Early intervention may be life-saving.
Criteria for Testing for Diabetes or Prediabetes in Asymptomatic Adults
“Prediabetes” is the term used for individuals with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and/or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and indicates an increased risk for the future development of diabetes. IFG and IGT should not be viewed as clinical entities in their own right but rather risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). IFG and IGT are associated with obesity (especially abdominal or visceral obesity), dyslipidemia with high triglycerides and/or low HDL cholesterol, and hypertension.
Diagnostic Criteria for Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM)
Inclusion body myositis is the most common myopathy in patients over the age of 40 years encountered in neurological practice. Although it is usually sporadic, there is increasing awareness of the influence of genetic factors on disease susceptibility and clinical phenotype. The diagnosis is based on recognition of the distinctive pattern of muscle involvement and temporal profile of the disease, and the combination of inflammatory and myodegenerative changes and protein deposits in the muscle biopsy.
Diagnostic Criteria for Narcolepsy (DSM-IV-TR)
Narcolepsy is characterized by permanent, overwhelming feelings of sleepiness and fatigue. Other symptoms include abnormalities of dreaming sleep, such as dream-like hallucinations and feeling physically weak or paralyzed for a few seconds.
Criteria for the Diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (DSM-V)
Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by persistent anxiety and uncontrollable worry that occurs consistently for at least 6 months. This disorder is commonly associated with depression, alcohol and substance abuse, physical health problems, or all these factors.
Diagnostic Criteria for Transient Global Amnesia (TGA)
Transient global amnesia (TGA) is a benign, temporary loss of anterograde memory with sparing of immediate recall and remote memories.
Rome III Criteria for Functional Dyspepsia (FD)
According to the Rome III criteria, functional dyspepsia is defined as the presence of one or more of the following: postprandial fullness, early satiation, epigastric pain or burning and no evidence of structural disease (including at upper endoscopy) to explain the symptoms.
Diagnostic Criteria for Plasma Cell Myeloma (PCM)
The definition of plasma cell myeloma (PCM) has rested on identifying clinical and laboratory features that predict when a sufficient burden of plasma cells has accumulated that the patient will benefit from treatment.
Criteria for Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric surgery is usually considered when other weight loss efforts have failed. Eligibility criteria were established by the 1991 National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Panel and continue to be the most widely accepted criteria.