Table 2.
Prevalence of medically unexplained episodes in frequent attenders categorised by referral complaint (stratified by age). Figures are number of medically unexplained symptoms/number of referrals
| Referral complaint | 18-45 years | 46-65 years |
|---|---|---|
| Gastrointestinal complaints: | ||
| Abdominal pain/change in bowel habit | 25/30 | 14/23 |
| Others | 1/21 | 0/26 |
| Gynaecological complaints: | ||
| Pelvic pain | 7/20 | 0/6 |
| Others | 3/50 | 1/12 |
| Neurological complaints: | ||
| Seizures | 2/7 | 1/4 |
| Headache | 13/18 | 4/9 |
| Others | 2/4 | 1/10 |
| Musculoskeletal complaints: | ||
| Back pain | 14/19 | 15/23 |
| Joint pain | 4/21 | 6/39 |
| Fatigue | 6/11 | 2/8 |
| Others | 4/23 | 6/29 |
| Breast complaints: | ||
| Breast lump | 0/10 | 0/24 |
| Mastalgia | 4/4 | 0/1 |
| Urinary complaints: | ||
| Incontinence | 2/5 | 5/20 |
| Others | 0/5 | 0/5 |
| Endocrine complaints: | ||
| Diabetes | 0/9 | 0/28 |
| Others | 0/34 | 0/27 |
| Respiratory complaints: | ||
| Shortness of breath | 1/8 | 1/6 |
| Others | 1/11 | 1/11 |
| Cardiovascular complaints: | ||
| Chest pain | 25/31 | 15/52 |
| Others | 1/13 | 0/18 |
| Ear/nose/throat complaints: | ||
| Rhinitis | 1/5 | 0/2 |
| Sinusitis | 1/9 | 0/1 |
| Others | 5/30 | 6/26 |
| Dental complaints | 1/11 | 0/3 |
| Skin complaints: | ||
| Eczema | 0/4 | 0/4 |
| Psoriasis | 0/11 | 0/2 |
| Others | 0/30 | 0/23 |
| Blood disorders | 0/10 | 0/9 |
| Eye complaints | 3/20 | 4/36 |