Table 1 Syndrome Categories

Gastrointestinal

pain or cramps anywhere in the abdomen nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal distension and swelling.

Constitutional

non-localized, systemic problems including fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms (viral syndrome), weakness, fatigue, anorexia, malaise, lethargy, sweating (diaphoresis), light headedness, faintness and fussiness.

Respiratory

problems of the nose (coryza) and throat (pharyngitis), as well as the lungs. Examples of respiratory include congestion, sore throat, tonsillitis, sinusitis, cold symptoms, bronchitis, cough, shortness of breath, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pneumonia. The presence of both cold and flu symptoms is counted in this category, not Constitutional.

Rash

any rash, such as macular, papular, vesicular, petechial, purpuric, or hives. Ulcerations are not counted as Rash unless consistent with cutaneous anthrax (an ulcer with a black eschar).

Hemorrhagic

bleeding from any site, e.g., vomiting blood (hematemesis), nose bleed (epistaxis), hematuria, gastrointestinal bleeding (site unspecified), rectal bleeding, and vaginal bleeding. Bleeding from a site for which there is a syndrome is counted as Hemorrhagic and as the relevant syndrome (e.g. hematochesia is Gastrointestinal and Hemorrhagic; hemoptysis is Respiratory and Hemorrhagic).

Botulinic

ocular abnormalities (diplopia, blurred vision, photophobia), difficulty speaking (dysphonia, dysarthria, slurred speech), and difficulty swallowing (dysphagia).

Neurological

non-psychiatric complaints that relate to brain function. Included are headache, head pain, migraine, facial pain or numbness, seizure, tremor, convulsion, loss of consciousness, syncope, fainting, ataxia, confusion, disorientation, altered mental status, vertigo, concussion, meningitis, stiff neck, tingling and numbness. (Dizziness is both Constitutional and Neurological).

Other

anything which does not fall into any of the above categories, particularly injuries.