Classification for Chagas Cardiomyopathy

Chagas’ disease is caused by a protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, that is transmitted to humans through the feces of infected bloodsucking insects in endemic areas of Latin America, or occasionally by nonvectorial mechanisms, such as blood transfusion. Cardiac involvement, which typically appears decades after the initial infection, may result in cardiac arrhythmias, ventricular aneurysm, congestive heart failure, thromboembolism, and sudden cardiac death.

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Serologic Testing for the Diagnosis of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Infection

The antigens and antibodies associated with HBV infection include HBsAg (Australia antigen) and antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs), hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) and antibody to HBcAg (anti-HBc), and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and antibody to HBeAg (anti-HBe). At least one serologic marker is present during the different phases of HBV infection.

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Diagnosis of Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA)

The diagnosis of Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) requires that a patient be anemic and show laboratory evidence of iron deficiency. Red blood cells in IDA are usually described as being microcytic (i.e., mean corpuscular volume less than 80 um3 [80 fL]) and hypochromic, however the manifestation of iron deficiency occurs in several stages.

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Diagnostic Criteria for Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP)

Classic chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is characterized by the occurrence of symmetrical weakness in both proximal and distal muscles that progressively increases for more than two months (setting this condition apart from the Guillain–Barré syndrome, which is self-limited). The condition is associated with impaired sensation, absent or diminished tendon reflexes, an elevated cerebrospinal fluid protein level, demyelinating nerve-conduction studies, and signs of demyelination in nerve-biopsy specimens. The course can be relapsing or chronic and progressive, the former being much more common in young adults.

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Diagnostic Criteria for Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)

The Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) or Landry-Guillain-Barre-Strohl syndrome, also known as post-infectious polyneuropathy or acute idiopathic polyneuritis, is an acute acquired, frequently severe, monophasic autoimmune illness of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). GBS manifests itself with the clinical picture characterised by gait disturbance, pain, weakness, rapidly ascending symmetric flaccid muscle paralysis, areflexia with distal predominance (involving lower motor neuron), sensory disturbance, variable autonomic involvement, and increased cerebrospinal fluid protein without pleocytosis.

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Criteria for Diagnosis of Cushing’s Syndrome (CS)

The evaluation of patients with suspected Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is complex and expensive, and the diagnosis is often a challenge for clinicians. Most patients initially suspected of having CS will not have this condition, and therefore efficient screening procedures are needed to identify the few patients who will need additional investigation in specialized centers.

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ICSD Diagnostic Criteria for Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a disorder of impaired expression of wakefulness and rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep. This manifests as excessive daytime sleepiness and expression of individual physiological correlates of REM sleep that include cataplexy and sleep paralysis (REM sleep atonia intruding into wakefulness), impaired maintenance of REM sleep atonia (e.g. REM sleep behaviour disorder [RBD]), and dream imagery intruding into wakefulness (e.g. hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations). Excessive sleepiness typically begins in the second or third decade followed by expression of auxiliary symptoms.

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