Irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome diagnostics in practice
Unspecific symptoms and a lack of markers make it difficult to diagnose irritable bowel syndrome. Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS can be diagnosed if the symptoms cannot be explained organically, but the quality of life of those affected is severely restricted.
Diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome by presentationand exclusion
If patients suffer from gastrointestinal complaints such as abdominal pain, bloating and altered bowel movements, they are often prematurely labelled with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, the first step in diagnosing irritable bowel syndrome is to take a detailed medical history in the doctor's surgery. This involves clarifying the pattern and extent of the symptoms and checking whether they are compatible with a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome. The nature and duration of the symptoms should also be recorded and possible triggers taken into account. In the next step, it is particularly important to rule out all other diseases that could be responsible for the symptoms.
Guidelines recommend early diagnosis or reliable differential diagnosis
According to the recommendation of the current guideline on irritable bowel syndrome, a positive diagnosis should be made as early as possible and relevant differential diagnoses should be excluded as reliably as possible.
Sources
- Layer P et al. Update S3 guideline irritable bowel syndrome: definition, pathophysiology, diagnosis and therapy. Joint guideline of the German Society of Gastroenterology, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS) and the German Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (DGNM) - June 2021 - AWMF registration number: 021/016. Z Gastroenterol. 2021 Dec;59(12):1323-1415.
- https://theromefoundation.org/rome-iv/rome-iv-criteria/