Conditions
Fatigue and weakness triage
Structured fatigue assessment focused on reversible causes, risk stratification, and red-flag escalation.
Last reviewed 2026-02-07|fatigue | weakness | triage
Assessment priorities
- Clarify onset timeline, systemic symptoms, and functional impact.
- Review sleep quality, mood, medication effects, and chronic disease context.
- Identify patterns suggestive of endocrine, hematologic, infectious, or cardiopulmonary causes.
Red flags
- Progressive weakness with neurologic deficits or cardiorespiratory instability.
- Unintentional significant weight loss, persistent fevers, or bleeding symptoms.
- Inability to maintain activities of daily living safely.
Initial management
- Use targeted first-line workup based on clinical pattern and risk profile.
- Start supportive plan addressing hydration, activity pacing, and sleep hygiene.
- Document explicit thresholds for reassessment and escalation.
Follow-up and escalation
- Review symptom trend and investigation results in short interval.
- Escalate when red flags emerge or trajectory worsens.
- Coordinate specialist pathway for persistent unexplained fatigue.