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[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
References[edit]
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