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CDC and #MEAction: ME/CFS Resources for Medical Students - Flashcards

Discussion in 'Resources' started by ahimsa, Jan 26, 2025.

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  1. ahimsa

    ahimsa Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    I recently found out about this page on the CDC website:

    ME/CFS Resources for Medical Students

    I think it's fairly new? The date at the top is May 13, 2024 but that could just be the last update.

    The last item on the resource list is "Infection-Associated Chronic Illness Flashcards - An Anki flashcard deck for medical students." That was created relatively recently (some time last year?) by the #MEAction team as part of their "Teach ME, Treat ME" medical education project. I knew about the flashcard set (saw it on their website) but did not know that the CDC referred to it.

    I think this information belongs here in the resources forum but please move if it belongs elsewhere.

    ******
    Moderation note: there is a thread on an event promoting this resource here:
    Reddit Q&A session about #MEAction Medical Flashcards on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025

    Some of the following posts have been moved from that thread.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 22, 2025
    ahimsa, Jan 26, 2025
    #1
    alktipping, Hutan, ME/CFS Skeptic and 4 others like this.
  2. Utsikt

    Utsikt Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    How good are MEA at basic ME/CFS facts?
     
    Utsikt, Feb 22, 2025
    #2
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  3. Utsikt

    Utsikt Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    I tried to sign up to get access to the flashcards, but you need to install a program on a computer. Are anyone able to download the cards or somehow make the available here?
     
    Utsikt, Feb 22, 2025
    #3
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  4. Yann04

    Yann04 Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Is MEA an acronym for the ME Association or ME Action. I know you mean MEAction in this case but now I’m questioning whether I’ve been interpreting it wrong as the ME Association in the past.
     
    Yann04, Feb 22, 2025
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  5. Yann04

    Yann04 Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    I think Anki has phone apps and even a web interface.

    It’s a FOSS project.
     
    Yann04, Feb 22, 2025
    #5
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  6. ahimsa

    ahimsa Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Yeah, I noticed that additional software was required when I first posted about these flashcards.

    Today I finally read the instructions, created an AnkiHub account (just the AnkiWeb account was not what I needed) and then downloaded the Anki software app.

    I have no idea how to use this tool correctly but here's a screenshot of the first set of questions in the flashcard deck:

    I didn't do the rest of the instructions to download this deck and then use it with the app.
     
    ahimsa, Feb 22, 2025
    #6
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  7. Hutan

    Hutan Moderator Staff Member

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    Can we see the flashcards anywhere?
     
    Hutan, Feb 22, 2025
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  8. ahimsa

    ahimsa Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    ahimsa, Feb 22, 2025
    #8
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  9. ahimsa

    ahimsa Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    I have not yet been able to configure the flashcard tool (show the question, guess an answer) to work correctly with this deck.

    But I was able to see the flashcard questions at this link after I created an AnkiHub account ("Infection-associated Chronic Illness, Created by ale067"):

    https://app.ankihub.net/decks/0991ce84-9d41-410e-835d-183e2bea4c0b

    I got this link on this page:

    https://millionsmissing.meaction.net/teachME/

    EDIT: oops, posted the wrong link, it has now been corrected!
     
    ahimsa, Feb 22, 2025
    #9
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  10. Utsikt

    Utsikt Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Those are not too bad!
     
    Utsikt, Feb 22, 2025
    #10
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  11. Sasha

    Sasha Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Is the ME/CFS, POTS, MCAS, hEDS, chronic Lyme question worrying? I don't know what answer they were giving for it.
     
    Sasha, Feb 22, 2025
    #11
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  12. Nightsong

    Nightsong Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    The deck link in the instructions is broken; it gives me the error "This shared item is missing or currently unavailable". However, you can access both questions and answers by signing up for AnkiWeb.

    Unfortunately, I don't think this resource can be recommended. Here are the questions:

    1.jpg 2.jpg 3.jpg 4.jpg 5.jpg 6.jpg 7.jpg
     
    Nightsong, Feb 22, 2025
    #12
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  13. Hutan

    Hutan Moderator Staff Member

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    Yeah, there are a lot of problems with these flash cards. Here are some of the first questions.

    What percentage of people with Long COVID are estimated to meet the diagnostic criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)?
    A: 50%

    What percentage of people with Long COVID are estimated to meet the diagnostic criteria for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)?
    A: 67%

    A 35 yo man reports disabling fatigue, cognitive impairment, and shortness of breath that began after a suspected COVID-19 infection. Your attending diagnoses the patient with Long COVID and begins assessing him for the two most common infection-associated chronic illnesses seen in Long COVID which are:
    A: ME/CFS and POTS

    A 14yo girl with post-COVID myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) presents with dizziness on standing, headaches, purple toes, and tachycardia. For what common comorbidity of ME/CFS should the patient be assessed?
    A. POTS

    A man in his 30s reports allergic reactions to previously tolerated foods, with rash and digestive distress. The patient has a history of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). What common comorbidity of these conditions was likely missed?
    A. MCAS

    After mononucleosis, a 43 yo woman with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) experiences three atraumatic dislocations over six months. Prior to infection, the patient was a professional ballet dancer and instructor. What hereditary condition was likely exacerbated by EBV?
    A. hEDS

    Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), hypermobile ehlers danlos syndrome (hEDS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), multiple sclerosis (MS), chronic lyme (PTLD) are all examples of what type of illness?
    A. Infection-associated chronic illness

    Your attending asks the following questions of a patient with suspected infection-associated chronic illness: “Can you bend over and place your palms flat on the floor?” What disease do you think they’re asking about?
    A. hEDS
     
    Hutan, Feb 22, 2025
    #13
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  14. Utsikt

    Utsikt Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    50 % of LC has ME/CFS isn’t good. 67 % of LC has POTS is also far too high. MCAS is debatable. The rest are okay, are they not?
    Edit: the rest of Hutan’s post.
     
    Last edited: Feb 22, 2025
    Utsikt, Feb 22, 2025
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  15. Utsikt

    Utsikt Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    I’m assuming Infection-Associated Chronic Illnesses.
     
    Utsikt, Feb 22, 2025
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  16. Hutan

    Hutan Moderator Staff Member

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    Which of the following is considered the best activity management strategy for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)?

    What is the best strategy for starting a person with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) on a new medication?
    Your attending has just diagnosed your Long COVID patient with a common infection-associated chronic illness. There are no FDA-approved medications for this illness, but your attending says low dose naltrexone and pyridostigmine can be prescribed off label. What is the diagnosis?
    A. ME/CFS
     
    Hutan, Feb 22, 2025
    #16
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  17. Trish

    Trish Moderator Staff Member

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    I really dislike such superficial questions, and they don't seem necessarily ones I would want my doctor to be taught as an intro to ME/CFS or LC.
     
    Trish, Feb 22, 2025
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  18. Utsikt

    Utsikt Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Q_4 Increase or decrease activity levels based on symptoms (symptom-contingent pacing)

    That’s a terrible description of pacing..
     
    Utsikt, Feb 22, 2025
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  19. Hutan

    Hutan Moderator Staff Member

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    That was actually one of the few questions that I thought was ok. I think most of it is a mess of poorly evidenced conjecture.

    I have no idea why the CDC would be supporting this and it reflects poorly on MEAction also.
     
    Hutan, Feb 22, 2025
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  20. Utsikt

    Utsikt Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    It was good in the sense that it showed some normal wrong answers. But ‘increasing or decreasing activity based on symptoms’ sounds like a surefire way to crash repeatedly - at least for someone new to the game. Isn’t the purpose of pacing to avoid PEM?

    Maybe they don’t know any better?
     
    Utsikt, Feb 22, 2025
    #20
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