Increased frequency of fibromyalgia among patients with chronic pain presenting to internal medicine clinics of a tertiary care hospital: A cross sectional study.

Abstract

To estimate fibromyalgia frequency among patients presenting with complaints of chronic fatigue and or generalised body pain for at least six weeks. The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Internal Medicine, Indus Hospital, Karachi, between December 2016 and March 2018, and comprised patients of either gender presenting with complaints of chronic fatigue and or generalised body pain for at least six weeks. They were assessed for fibromyalgia according to the 2010 Fibromyalgia Diagnostic criteria questionnaire. The Data was analysed using SPSS 21. Of the 267 patients, 197(73.8%) were females and 70(26.2%) were males. Fibromyalgia was detected in 149(55.80%) patients. The mean age of patients with fibromyalgia was 42.3±14.6 years and it was 38.9±13.7 years in patients without fibromyalgia (p<0.05). No significant association was found between gender and fibromyalgia (p>0.05). All patients with generalised pain should be evaluated for fibromyalgia and a diagnosis made to reduce the cost of further referrals and investigations, and delay in the management of this debilitating disorder.