(fă-tēg' )

[Fr. fr. L. fatigare, to tire]

1. An overwhelming sustained sense of exhaustion and decreased capacity for physical and mental work at the usual level.

   SEE: Nursing Diagnoses Appendix.

2. The condition of an organ or tissue in which its response to stimulation is reduced or lost as a result of overactivity. Fatigue may be the result of excessive activity, which causes the accumulation of metabolic waste products such as lactic acid; malnutrition (deficiency of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, or vitamins); circulatory disturbances such as heart disease or anemia, which interfere with the supply of oxygen and energy substrates to tissues; respiratory disturbances, which interfere with the supply of oxygen to tissues; infectious diseases, which produce toxic products or alter body metabolism; endocrine disturbances such as occur in diabetes, hyperinsulinism, and menopause; psychogenic factors such as emotional conflicts, frustration, anxiety, neurosis, and boredom; or physical factors such as disability. Environmental noise and vibration contribute to the development of fatigue.

   SEE: chronic fatigue syndrome.

   fatigue, v.

accommodative f.Accommodative insufficiency.

acute f.Fatigue with sudden onset. It may occur after excessive exertion and is relieved by rest.

alert f.The tendency of health care professionals to ignore prompts given to them by clinical decision support systems in electronic health records because of the excessive number or limited clinical significance of these records.

chronic f.Long-continued fatigue not relieved by rest. It is indicative of disease such as tuberculosis, diabetes, or other conditions of altered body metabolism.

SEE: chronic fatigue syndrome.

compassion f.Cynicism, emotional exhaustion, or self-centeredness occurring in a health care professional previously dedicated to his or her work and clients.

decision f.A decreased ability to make good, thoughtful decisions when one is tired or overworked.

muscle f.The reduced capacity of a muscle to perform work, i.e., to exert force, as a result of repeated contractions and accumulation of lactic acid in anaerobic cell respiration. The fatigue may be partial or complete.

volitional f.In exercise training and rehabilitation, a state of perceived exhaustion in which one is unable to perform any additional exercise or movement.