Diagnosis of ME and the use of the labels ME and CFS.

One of the reasons why the IOM Report's suggestion for the term "SEID" wasn't widely accepted in the US is because none of the IOM Report's sponsor agencies adopted the suggested term, preferring the conjoined term, "ME/CFS" (which since 2022 has been codable within ICD-10-CM under sub-code, G93.32).

It is possible, however, for clinicians, coders and insurers to code for the term within the US as "SEID (systemic exertion intolerance disease)" has been added by NCHS/CDC to the ICD-10-CM's Index, where it is indexed to G93.32.

 

WHO ICD-11 Reference Guide policy on use of eponyms and use of acronyms:

 

Hi @Dx Revision Watch - can you include the exclusions for the ICD10 G.93.3.

It drives me nuts when even some patients call ME 'Chronic Fatigue'

 

Yep.
I’d like to ditch the CFS as soon as possible, but since so many people meeting ME criteria have that as their original diagnosis that would leave them in a vulnerable position if doctors refuse to convert this to ME. So probably best we can do till we get a biomedical breakthrough and can look at where that points us name wise.

 

WHO's ICD-10:

The Title term: G93.3 Postviral fatigue syndrome (which includes the inclusion term: Myalgic encephalomyelitis and the G93.3 index term, Chronic fatigue syndrome) is specified as an exclusion under F48.0 Neurasthenia and its inclusion term, Fatigue syndrome:





G93.3 is also specified as an exclusion under the Symptoms, signs chapter R53 Malaise and fatigue:




There is no term, "Chronic fatigue" as such within ICD-10 - only "Fatigue syndrome" (F48.0) in the Tabular List and "Chronic fatigue syndrome" (G93.3) in the Index.

In ICD-10, there are no reciprocal exclusions for F48.0 and R53 under G93.3 Postviral fatigue syndrome.

However, for ICD-11, there is an exclusion for Fatigue (MG22)* under 8E49 Postviral fatigue syndrome and under 6C20 Bodily distress disorder (which replaces and subsumes the retired ICD-10 term, Neurasthenia), all three terms: Postviral fatigue syndrome (8E49); Chronic fatigue syndrome (8E49); Myalgic encephalomyelitis (8E49) are specified as exclusions to Bodily distress disorder.

*ICD-10 Title term "Malaise and fatigue" has been replaced by "Fatigue" for ICD-11.


There is this cautionary note for clinicians and coders in the National Clinical Coding Standards ICD-10 5th Edition (2024):



Edit: Note there remains a code for "Chronic fatigue, unspecified" in the US's ICD-10-CM at R53.82 which has an Excludes1 for the following:

chronic fatigue syndrome (G93.32)
myalgic encephalomyelitis (G93.32)
other post infection and related fatigue syndromes (G93.39)
postviral fatigue syndrome (G93.31)

with a reciprocal Excludes 1 for "chronic fatigue NOS (R53.82)" under G93.3 Postviral and related fatigue syndromes.