Course (medicine)

Course (medicine) refers to the progression and projected outcome of a disease. The course of a disease is typically classified into five general categories: acute, subacute, chronic, intermittent, and recurrent.

Acute

An acute course refers to a disease that is brief, but typically severe. The symptoms appear, change, or worsen rapidly. It is the opposite of a chronic or long term illness. Examples of acute diseases include appendicitis, heart attack, and influenza.

Subacute

A subacute course is not as severe as an acute course and not as long-lasting as a chronic course. This type of disease is somewhere in between. An example of a subacute disease is subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

Chronic

A chronic course is a disease that is long-lasting or recurrent. The symptoms may be continuous or intermittent, but the disease process is ongoing. Examples of chronic diseases include diabetes, asthma, and hypertension.

Intermittent

An intermittent course refers to a disease that has periods of remission interspersed with periods of relapse. The symptoms come and go. Examples of diseases with an intermittent course include multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis.

Recurrent

A recurrent course refers to a disease that repeatedly returns, despite periods of remission. The symptoms may be similar each time, or they may change. Examples of recurrent diseases include herpes simplex and migraine.

See also

• Prognosis
• Diagnosis
• Pathogenesis

References

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