Abstract
BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most frequent functional gastrointestinal disorder, both in primary and secondary care.
AIMS: (1) To describe diagnostic tools and treatments suggested to IBS patients by Italian gastroenterologists; (2) To evaluate patients' quality of life and psychological involvement and the relationship of these factors with symptom severity.
METHODS: Twenty-six gastroenterologists recorded the demographic and clinical data of 677 IBS patients. Diagnostic and treatment measures taken in the previous year and those suggested by gastroenterologists were analysed.
RESULTS: IBS with constipation was found in 43.4%, with diarrhoea in 21.6%, mixed-IBS in 35.0%. Routine blood tests, ultrasonography, colonoscopy, barium enema and CT were more frequently requested in the previous year than by the gastroenterologists (p < 0.001). Colonoscopy (11%), and ultrasonography (20.4%) were also suggested by the gastroenterologists in a non-negligible number of patients. Abdominal pain and distension, bowel dissatisfaction, anxiety and depression were more severe in females than in males. Quality of life decreased with increasing IBS-symptom severity.
CONCLUSIONS: IBS diagnosis is still largely based on exclusion criteria even if gastroenterologists try to improve diagnostic appropriateness. However, therapy remains symptom-based also in the gastroenterological setting even if gastroenterologists use a wide variety of approaches, including innovative therapies such as linaclotide and psychotherapy.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-8 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Digestive and Liver Disease |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - Oct 22 2018 |
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IBS clinical management in Italy : The AIGO survey. / AIGO.
In: Digestive and Liver Disease, 22.10.2018, p. 1-8.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - IBS clinical management in Italy
T2 - The AIGO survey
AU - AIGO
AU - Soncini, Marco
AU - Stasi, Cristina
AU - Usai Satta, Paolo
AU - Milazzo, Giuseppe
AU - Bianco, Margherita
AU - Leandro, Gioacchino
AU - Montalbano, Luigi Maria
AU - Muscatiello, Nicola
AU - Monica, Fabio
AU - Galeazzi, Francesca
AU - Bellini, Massimo
N1 - Copyright © 2018 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
PY - 2018/10/22
Y1 - 2018/10/22
N2 - BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most frequent functional gastrointestinal disorder, both in primary and secondary care.AIMS: (1) To describe diagnostic tools and treatments suggested to IBS patients by Italian gastroenterologists; (2) To evaluate patients' quality of life and psychological involvement and the relationship of these factors with symptom severity.METHODS: Twenty-six gastroenterologists recorded the demographic and clinical data of 677 IBS patients. Diagnostic and treatment measures taken in the previous year and those suggested by gastroenterologists were analysed.RESULTS: IBS with constipation was found in 43.4%, with diarrhoea in 21.6%, mixed-IBS in 35.0%. Routine blood tests, ultrasonography, colonoscopy, barium enema and CT were more frequently requested in the previous year than by the gastroenterologists (p < 0.001). Colonoscopy (11%), and ultrasonography (20.4%) were also suggested by the gastroenterologists in a non-negligible number of patients. Abdominal pain and distension, bowel dissatisfaction, anxiety and depression were more severe in females than in males. Quality of life decreased with increasing IBS-symptom severity.CONCLUSIONS: IBS diagnosis is still largely based on exclusion criteria even if gastroenterologists try to improve diagnostic appropriateness. However, therapy remains symptom-based also in the gastroenterological setting even if gastroenterologists use a wide variety of approaches, including innovative therapies such as linaclotide and psychotherapy.
AB - BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most frequent functional gastrointestinal disorder, both in primary and secondary care.AIMS: (1) To describe diagnostic tools and treatments suggested to IBS patients by Italian gastroenterologists; (2) To evaluate patients' quality of life and psychological involvement and the relationship of these factors with symptom severity.METHODS: Twenty-six gastroenterologists recorded the demographic and clinical data of 677 IBS patients. Diagnostic and treatment measures taken in the previous year and those suggested by gastroenterologists were analysed.RESULTS: IBS with constipation was found in 43.4%, with diarrhoea in 21.6%, mixed-IBS in 35.0%. Routine blood tests, ultrasonography, colonoscopy, barium enema and CT were more frequently requested in the previous year than by the gastroenterologists (p < 0.001). Colonoscopy (11%), and ultrasonography (20.4%) were also suggested by the gastroenterologists in a non-negligible number of patients. Abdominal pain and distension, bowel dissatisfaction, anxiety and depression were more severe in females than in males. Quality of life decreased with increasing IBS-symptom severity.CONCLUSIONS: IBS diagnosis is still largely based on exclusion criteria even if gastroenterologists try to improve diagnostic appropriateness. However, therapy remains symptom-based also in the gastroenterological setting even if gastroenterologists use a wide variety of approaches, including innovative therapies such as linaclotide and psychotherapy.
U2 - 10.1016/j.dld.2018.10.006
DO - 10.1016/j.dld.2018.10.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 30448159
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - Digestive and Liver Disease
JF - Digestive and Liver Disease
SN - 1590-8658
ER -