Fatigue
In a fatigue workup, gather and document duration and pattern, sleep and mood, weight change, functional impact, a focused examination, and the screening lab results already on file.
General and abdominal: These presentations have a wide differential, so you read results from several sources together.
Key takeaways
- Record how long the fatigue has lasted and how it affects function.
- Ask about sleep, mood and weight change.
- Gather recent lab results before you order more.
What this presentation is
Fatigue is common and has a wide differential, including anemia, thyroid disease, diabetes, sleep disorders, depression, medication effects and post-viral illness.
Recent lab results often already exist in the record. Gathering them first avoids repeating tests.
Gather these sources first
- The referral and previous letters
- Complete blood count, ferritin and inflammatory markers
- Thyroid function, renal and liver function
- HbA1c or glucose
- Celiac serology if done
- The current medication list
Document these history questions
- Duration, onset and pattern through the day
- Physical tiredness compared with sleepiness
- Sleep quality, snoring and witnessed apneas
- Mood, anhedonia and stress
- Weight change and appetite
- Menstrual history where relevant
- Alcohol, medications and recent infections
Record these findings
- Weight and body mass index
- Pallor, lymph nodes and thyroid examination
- Hemoglobin, ferritin and thyroid function
- Glucose or HbA1c
- A mood screen if used
Ask about these red flags
Record each one as present or absent. Your local pathway decides what happens when one is present.
- Unintentional weight loss
- Night sweats or fever
- Lymphadenopathy
- Unexplained bleeding or bruising
- New breathlessness
- Low mood with thoughts of self-harm
Put these in the assessment draft
- The duration, pattern and functional impact
- A ranked differential with the reasoning
- The results reviewed, with dates
- The red flags asked about and the answers
- A plan with investigations, follow-up and safety-netting advice
How Workup Desk helps
Add the recent results and earlier letters to the workspace. Ask which screening tests are already on file and how old each one is.
Draft the assessment or a patient-friendly summary of the plan and edit it.
Frequently asked questions
Why separate tiredness from sleepiness?
Falling asleep during the day points toward sleep disorders. Feeling drained without sleepiness points elsewhere. The distinction narrows the list.
General guidance on what to gather and document, not advice about any individual patient. Local guidelines and your clinical judgment govern.