A European Approach to Irritable Bowel Syndrome Management
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by a number of clinical features and probably comprises a cluster of different conditions. The most frequent symptom reported by IBS patients is abdominal pain, although for a number of patients, bowel disturbances are the most prominent symptoms. Diar...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
1999-01-01
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| Series: | Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/1999/314165 |
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| _version_ | 1832548373560819712 |
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| author | Michel Delvaux Jacques Frexinos |
| author_facet | Michel Delvaux Jacques Frexinos |
| author_sort | Michel Delvaux |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by a
number of clinical features and probably comprises a cluster of different
conditions. The most frequent symptom reported by IBS
patients is abdominal pain, although for a number of patients,
bowel disturbances are the most prominent symptoms. Diarrhetic
patients are seen in referral centres in continental Europe less frequently
than in the United Kingdom or the United States. On the
contrary, patients with constipation-prone IBS may comprise up
to 80% of the IBS population referred to these centres. The
pathophysiology of IBS is based on multiple factors. Most of the
therapeutics proposed for the management of patients with IBS
have been developed on the assumption that motility disorders of
the gut are the most reliable pathological findings among these patients.
Consequently, antispasmodics and motility regulatory
agents have been widely used, alone or in association with intestinal
adsorbents (clay-derived preparations), and laxatives or
antidiarrhetic agents. Most of these drugs were developed several
decades ago, and studies showing their efficacy have not reached
the level of quality that is now required of randomized controlled
trials. Therefore, following a complete and detailed review published
in 1989, these drugs have not been used extensively in the
United Kingdom or the United States. Large inquiries have also
shown that the duration of prescription is quite different among
countries. In European countries, maintenance therapy is frequently
prescribed for several weeks to attempt to decrease the
number of acute episodes. In contrast, psychotropic drugs are less
popular among European gastroenterologists than among American
gastroenterologists. However, multidisciplinary approaches to
the treatment of these patients are frequent, and such drugs are often
prescribed by home physicians. The results of large surveys estimated
the yearly cost of such treatments to be around US$850.
Patients with constipation and elderly patients with chronic disease
receive more expensive treatments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f920f8b0ad984657a006d730d2fdb45a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0835-7900 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 1999-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology |
| spelling | doaj-art-f920f8b0ad984657a006d730d2fdb45a2025-02-03T06:14:20ZengWileyCanadian Journal of Gastroenterology0835-79001999-01-0113Suppl A85A88A10.1155/1999/314165A European Approach to Irritable Bowel Syndrome ManagementMichel Delvaux0Jacques Frexinos1Gastroenterology Unit and Laboratory of Digestive Motility, CHU Rangueil, Toulouse, France, FranceGastroenterology Unit and Laboratory of Digestive Motility, CHU Rangueil, Toulouse, France, FranceIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by a number of clinical features and probably comprises a cluster of different conditions. The most frequent symptom reported by IBS patients is abdominal pain, although for a number of patients, bowel disturbances are the most prominent symptoms. Diarrhetic patients are seen in referral centres in continental Europe less frequently than in the United Kingdom or the United States. On the contrary, patients with constipation-prone IBS may comprise up to 80% of the IBS population referred to these centres. The pathophysiology of IBS is based on multiple factors. Most of the therapeutics proposed for the management of patients with IBS have been developed on the assumption that motility disorders of the gut are the most reliable pathological findings among these patients. Consequently, antispasmodics and motility regulatory agents have been widely used, alone or in association with intestinal adsorbents (clay-derived preparations), and laxatives or antidiarrhetic agents. Most of these drugs were developed several decades ago, and studies showing their efficacy have not reached the level of quality that is now required of randomized controlled trials. Therefore, following a complete and detailed review published in 1989, these drugs have not been used extensively in the United Kingdom or the United States. Large inquiries have also shown that the duration of prescription is quite different among countries. In European countries, maintenance therapy is frequently prescribed for several weeks to attempt to decrease the number of acute episodes. In contrast, psychotropic drugs are less popular among European gastroenterologists than among American gastroenterologists. However, multidisciplinary approaches to the treatment of these patients are frequent, and such drugs are often prescribed by home physicians. The results of large surveys estimated the yearly cost of such treatments to be around US$850. Patients with constipation and elderly patients with chronic disease receive more expensive treatments.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/1999/314165 |
| spellingShingle | Michel Delvaux Jacques Frexinos A European Approach to Irritable Bowel Syndrome Management Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology |
| title | A European Approach to Irritable Bowel Syndrome Management |
| title_full | A European Approach to Irritable Bowel Syndrome Management |
| title_fullStr | A European Approach to Irritable Bowel Syndrome Management |
| title_full_unstemmed | A European Approach to Irritable Bowel Syndrome Management |
| title_short | A European Approach to Irritable Bowel Syndrome Management |
| title_sort | european approach to irritable bowel syndrome management |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/1999/314165 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT micheldelvaux aeuropeanapproachtoirritablebowelsyndromemanagement AT jacquesfrexinos aeuropeanapproachtoirritablebowelsyndromemanagement AT micheldelvaux europeanapproachtoirritablebowelsyndromemanagement AT jacquesfrexinos europeanapproachtoirritablebowelsyndromemanagement |