DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF IRRITABLE-BOWEL-SYNDROME

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common medical disorder characteri zed by symptoms of abdominal pain and bowel dysfunction. it is associa ted with significant disability and health care costs. A practical app roach to diagnosis is the symptom-based Rome criteria. Management of p atients has been helped by recent findings relating to the epidemiolog y, pathophysiology and psychosocial contributions of the disorder. Dys regulation of intestinal motor, sensory and central nervous system fun ction is currently believed to be the basis for IBS symptoms. Symptoms are due to both abnormal intestinal motility and enhanced visceral se nsitivity Psychosocial factors are not a cause but can affect the illn ess experience and clinical outcome. Finally, treatment involves an ef fective physician-patient relationship and an integrated pharmacologic and behavioral approach that is determined by the needs of the patien t, the type and severity of the symptoms and the degree of disability. (C) 1998 Prous Science. All rights reserved.