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 | edit source]
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 | edit source]
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 | edit source]
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 | edit source]
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 | edit source]
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 | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
 | This medical article is a stub. You can help WikiMD by expanding it. |
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
|
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
| Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
Medical Disclaimer: WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The information on WikiMD is provided as an information resource only, may be incorrect, outdated or misleading, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. WikiMD expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site. By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, which may from time to time be changed or supplemented by WikiMD. If you do not agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, you should not enter or use this site. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
