TY - JOUR
T1 - How individuals with the irritable bowel syndrome describe their own symptoms before formal diagnosis
AU - Molinder, Herdis
AU - Agréus, Lars
AU - Kjellström, Lars
AU - Walter, Susanna
AU - Talley, Nicholas J.
AU - Andreasson, Anna
AU - Nyhlin, Henry
PY - 2015/10/2
Y1 - 2015/10/2
N2 - Aim: To investigate how individuals fulfilling the Rome II criteria for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) spontaneously described their symptoms. Method: From a general population, 1,244 randomly sampled adults were asked to describe their gastrointestinal symptoms (if any) verbally, in their own words, at a semi-structured interview. Their own descriptions were sorted into five symptom clusters. The participants independently completed a written questionnaire (the Rome II Modular Questionnaire (RMIIMQ)). Results: A total of 601 participants reported at least one gastrointestinal symptom, and 128 had IBS according to the RMIIMQ. After exclusion of organic causes, previously diagnosed IBS, or additional gastrointestinal diagnosis, 81 participants with IBS according to RMIIMQ remained. Five participants (6%) described symptoms included in the full definition of IBS, but none fulfilled the Rome II criteria completely. Abdominal pain or other IBS-related symptoms were reported by 64 (79%), and 12 (15%) did not report any IBS-like symptom. Conclusion: Previously undiagnosed individuals, who fulfil criteria for Rome II-IBS, often express their complaints in words that do not fit into the current diagnostic criteria.
AB - Aim: To investigate how individuals fulfilling the Rome II criteria for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) spontaneously described their symptoms. Method: From a general population, 1,244 randomly sampled adults were asked to describe their gastrointestinal symptoms (if any) verbally, in their own words, at a semi-structured interview. Their own descriptions were sorted into five symptom clusters. The participants independently completed a written questionnaire (the Rome II Modular Questionnaire (RMIIMQ)). Results: A total of 601 participants reported at least one gastrointestinal symptom, and 128 had IBS according to the RMIIMQ. After exclusion of organic causes, previously diagnosed IBS, or additional gastrointestinal diagnosis, 81 participants with IBS according to RMIIMQ remained. Five participants (6%) described symptoms included in the full definition of IBS, but none fulfilled the Rome II criteria completely. Abdominal pain or other IBS-related symptoms were reported by 64 (79%), and 12 (15%) did not report any IBS-like symptom. Conclusion: Previously undiagnosed individuals, who fulfil criteria for Rome II-IBS, often express their complaints in words that do not fit into the current diagnostic criteria.
KW - Diagnosis
KW - digestive symptoms
KW - irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
KW - layman's wording
KW - medical history-taking
KW - questionnaires
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84945120263&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3109/03009734.2015.1040529
DO - 10.3109/03009734.2015.1040529
M3 - Article
C2 - 25947550
AN - SCOPUS:84945120263
SN - 0300-9734
VL - 120
SP - 276
EP - 279
JO - Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences
JF - Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences
IS - 4
ER -