There are at least four reasons why a sleep clinician should be familiar with rating scales that evaluate different facets of sleep. First, the use of scales facilitates a quick and accurate assessment of a complex clinical problem. In three or four minutes (the time to review ten standard scales), a clinician can come to a broad understanding of the patient in question. For example, a selection of scales might indicate that an individual is sleepy but not fatigued; lacking alertness with no insomnia; presenting with no symptoms of narcolepsy or restless legs but showing clear features of apnea; exhibiting depression and a history of significant alcohol problems. This information can be used to direct the consultation to those issues perceived as most relevant, and can even provide a springboard for explaining the benefits of certain treatment approaches or the potential corollaries of allowing the status quo to continue. Second, rating scales can provide a clinician with an enhanced vocabulary or language, improving his or her understanding of each patient. In the case of the sleep specialist, a scale can help him to distinguish fatigue from sleepiness in a patient, or elucidate the differences between sleepiness and alertness (which is not merely the inverse of the former). Sleep scales are developed by researchers and clinicians who have spent years in their field, carefully honing their preferred methods for assessing certain brain states or characteristic features of a condition. Thus, scales provide clinicians with a repertoire of questions, allowing them to draw upon the extensive experience of their colleagues when attempting to tease apart nuanced problems. Third, some scales are helpful for tracking a patient’s progress. A particular patient may not remember how alert he felt on a series of different stimulant medications. Scale assessments administered periodically over the course of treatment provide an objective record of the intervention, allowing the clinician to examine and possibly reassess her approach to the patient. Finally, for individuals conducting a double-blind crossover trial or a straightforward clinical practice audit, those who are interested in research will find that their own clinics become a source of great discovery. Scales provide standardized measures that allow colleagues across cities and countries to coordinate their practices. They enable the replication of previous studies and facilitate the organization and dissemination of new research in a way that is accessible and rapid. As the emphasis placed on evidence-based care grows, a clinician’s ability to assess his or her own practice and its relation to the wider medical community becomes invaluable. Scales make this kind of standardization possible, just as they enable the research efforts that help to formulate those standards. The majority of Rating Scales in Sleep and Sleep Disorders:100 Scales for Clinical Practice is devoted to briefly discussing individual scales. When possible, an example of the scale is provided so that readers may gain a sense of the instrument’s content. Groundbreaking and the first of its kind to conceptualize and organize the essential scales used in sleep medicine, Rating Scales in Sleep and Sleep Disorders:100 Scales for Clinical Practice is an invaluable resource for all clinicians and researchers interested in sleep disorders.

An authoritative medical reference on the various ways in which Long-COVID presents and an in-depth discussion of its mechanisms and therapeutic options. Unravelling Long-COVID aims to provide a better awareness and understanding of the persistent health problems that can arise following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Variously described as Long-COVID, Long-Haulers’ Syndrome, and Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, this newly-designated disorder is estimated to have affected somewhere between 50 to 250 million people. It is in fact considered by many as the next global public health disaster. With such a broad and important topic, the authors of Unravelling Long-COVID have focused primarily on two major problems in the current understanding of Long-COVID: 1.) the failure to distinguish patients with organ damage—here called Long-COVID Disease – and those with unexplained, persistent symptoms—what is termed Long-COVID syndrome, 2.) and the failure of current medical approaches to comprehend and treat those persistent unexplained symptoms Unravelling Long-COVID is: One of the first books focused specifically on defining and understanding Long-COVID with the goal of establishing optimal management A unique reference to distinguish patients with organ damage caused by Long-COVID disease from those with unexplained, persistent symptoms that manifest as Long-COVID syndrome An in-depth exploration of neuroimmune pathways to help clarify the previously unexplained symptoms of Long-COVID Unravelling Long-COVID isan essential reference for anyone interested in Long-COVID and the impact that this condition has had on the population. It will be a useful resource for the growing number of Long-COVID clinics that have been established across the US, the UK, and other countries. This book will be paired with a long-COVID website, updated regularly by the authors, so the reader will be kept up to date with new clinical and research findings.

In 2020, the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 virus) led to the worst worldwide healthcare crisis of this century. Several publications regarding the pathogenesis and etiology of SARS-CoV-2 virus have enahnced our understanding of coronavirus disease, 2019 (COVID-19), the condition provoked by SARS-CoV-2. Once the COVID-19 pandemic ended, clinicians and researchers were faced with the long-lasting consequences of this condition, namely the presence of symptoms persisting years after the main infection; this has been named long-COVID, or post-COVID-19 condition. In fact, it is estimated that millions of COVID-19 survivors will be long haulers. This Special Issue in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, entitled "Post-COVID Symptoms in Long-Haulers: Definition, Identification, Mechanisms, and Management-Part II", focuses on the identification, underlying mechanisms, and mangement of long-COVID. The thirteen papers published in this Special Issue address heterogeneous topics such as risk factors, long-term prevalence data, the healthcare burden, medical co-morbidities, clinical trials concerning rehabilitation treatments, and data concerning children with long-COVID.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are serious, debilitating conditions that affect millions of people in the United States and around the world. ME/CFS can cause significant impairment and disability. Despite substantial efforts by researchers to better understand ME/CFS, there is no known cause or effective treatment. Diagnosing the disease remains a challenge, and patients often struggle with their illness for years before an identification is made. Some health care providers have been skeptical about the serious physiological - rather than psychological - nature of the illness. Once diagnosed, patients often complain of receiving hostility from their health care provider as well as being subjected to treatment strategies that exacerbate their symptoms. Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome proposes new diagnostic clinical criteria for ME/CFS and a new term for the illness - systemic exertion intolerance disease(SEID). According to this report, the term myalgic encephalomyelitis does not accurately describe this illness, and the term chronic fatigue syndrome can result in trivialization and stigmatization for patients afflicted with this illness. Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome stresses that SEID is a medical - not a psychiatric or psychological - illness. This report lists the major symptoms of SEID and recommends a diagnostic process.One of the report's most important conclusions is that a thorough history, physical examination, and targeted work-up are necessary and often sufficient for diagnosis. The new criteria will allow a large percentage of undiagnosed patients to receive an accurate diagnosis and appropriate care. Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome will be a valuable resource to promote the prompt diagnosis of patients with this complex, multisystem, and often devastating disorder; enhance public understanding; and provide a firm foundation for future improvements in diagnosis and treatment.

Something everyone has the power to do is reduce your cancer risk, and this book will show you just how easy it is to do it. Each year, over a million people in the United States alone hear the words no one ever wants to hear: You have cancer. But what if there was a way for fewer people to hear these words? One of the biggest myths regarding cancer is that it’s mostly genetic - meaning that you have no control over whether you get it. While genetics do have an impact, the truth is that your lifestyle and environment play the major role. Physician and Chief Medical Offer of WebMD John Whyte, MD, MPH, shares straightforward information and equips you with strategies to help you on a journey to better health. In Take Control of Your Cancer Risk, Dr. Whyte provides helpful tips including: assessing your cancer risk knowing which screenings you need, and when learning the role food, exercise, and sleep play understanding the relationship between stress and cancer Take Control of Your Cancer Risk is filled with practical advice that empowers you to really take control of our health.

This guidance is an update of WHO global influenza preparedness plan: the role of WHO and recommendations for national measures before and during pandemics, published March 2005 (WHO/CDS/CSR/GIP/2005.5).