IBS Flashcards
what is the definition of IBS?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic condition characterised by abdominal pain associated with bowel dysfunction. The pain is often relieved by defecation and is sometimes accompanied by abdominal bloating. There are no structural abnormalities to explain the pain.
what is the epidemiology of IBS?
IBS occurs in about 15% of the adult population.
higher prevalence in women (23%) than men (11%)
what is the aetiology of IBS?
IBS is believed to be a disorder of altered gastrointestinal motility. There are no specific endoscopic, biochemical, anatomic, microbiological, or histological findings in IBS that make the aetiology clear, although most feel that it is an illness with often multiple contributing causes.
what are the risk factors of IBS?
Physical and sexual abuse PTSD More than 50 years old Female sex Previous enteric infection Family history Family and job stress
what is the pathophysiology of IBS?
Most evidence suggests that there is dysfunction with the motor and sensory aspects of the digestive tract in people with IBS. There is altered gut reactivity (motility and secretion) in response to various stimuli, which may be environmental (personal life stresses or abuse) or luminal (certain foods, bacterial overgrowth or toxins, or gut distension or inflammation). This altered reactivity can lead to pain as well as constipation or diarrhoea.
what are the key presentations of IBS?
Presence of risk factors Abdo discomfort Alteration of bowel habits Bloating Normal abdo exam
what are the signs of IBS?
Risk factors
Normal abdo exam
what are the symptoms of IBS?
Passage of mucus Urgency of defecation Abdo discomfort Bloating Alteration of bowel habits
what are the first line and gold standard investigations of IBS?
FBC - normal
what are the differential diagnoses for IBS?
Crohns
UC
Coeliac
how is IBS managed?
Constipation:
Lifestyle mods, laxatives, lubiprostone, tegaserod
Diarrhoea:
Lifestyle, antidiarrheals, antispasmodics
how is IBS monitored?
none
what are the complications of IBS?
Damaged to family and work life
Diverticulosis
Depression
what is the prognosis of IBS?
Patients with IBS have a normal life expectancy, and there are no long-term complications of their disease. However, the symptoms of the disease tend to recur for much of adulthood, particularly at times of stress, emotional difficulty, or dietary indiscretion
