Your IBS Diagnosis Check List

IBS

Gastroenterology

How many patients suffering from gut disorder do you see per week? How many are diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)? Do you know that some patients have struggle more than 4 years before receiving a formal medical diagnosis of IBS?

Up to 75% of individuals with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) may be undiagnosed. Properly diagnosing IBS can be challenging and uncertain, it is a complex disease which is difficult to explain to your patient during an average consultation.

Therefore, Pr. Jean-Marc Sabaté, Pr. Jan Tack, Dr. Pedro Costa Moreira and the Biocodex Microbiota Institute have created a check list tool in order to better diagnose IBS and communicate with your patient. This IBS tool has received the endorsement of the World Gastroenterology Organisation.

Actu GP : La dysbiose vaginale à l’origine de certains cas d’infertilité ?

About this article

Authors

Prof Jean-Marc Sabaté

Dr Pedro Costa Moreira

Created 29 November 2022

Updated 21 March 2025

How to define Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?

What do we know about the pathophysiology?

How to make a confident diagnosis?

Which investigations are needed?

What are the warning signs to be excluded?

What are the general management concepts?

When to schedule a follow-up care?

Endorsed by

Download your tool here:

IBS diagnosis check list - Biocodex Microbiota Institute.pdf (pdf, 2.06 MB)

IBS Diagnostic Tool Pr. J Tack EN

52% Just 1 in 2 people having suffered from a digestive condition involving the microbiota had made the connection

Learn more:

The International Microbiota Observatory

What you will find in the IBS diagnosis tool?

Dear healthcare professionnal, for the first time you will find all the information you need in one usefull IBS diagnosis tool:

Simple figures to explain the disease, the symptoms and the pathophysiology
The diagnosis criteria and the IBS subtypes
A check list of red flags to be investigated to help you confirm your diagnosis
The list of investigations that are needed, the one recommended in specific case and finally those not useful as routine test
The four general management concepts
A frequency proposal to conduct the follow up care

How to define Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?

What do we know about the pathophysiology?

How to make a confident diagnosis?

Which investigations are needed?

What are the warning signs to be excluded?

What are the general management concepts?

When to schedule a follow-up care?

Endorsed by

The World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) is a federation of 119 Member Societies and four Regional Associations of gastroenterology representing over 60,000 individual members worldwide. The WGO focuses on the improvement of standards in training, education, and the practice of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and other related disciplines worldwide. https://www.worldgastroenterology.org/

The APSSII is an association of patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS, also called functional colopathy). Its purpose is to inform about the disease, to promote research, and to allow patients to come out of isolation.

https://www.apssii.org/accueil/index.php

secretariat@apssii.org

https://youtu.be/xveUZuPcjak

Get the official printed tool!

Ask your local representative to get your fan deck brochure of the IBS diagnosis tool.

To know more

Everything you need to know about Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Exclusive materials dedicated to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Recommended by our community

Sources

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_{16. Savarino E, Zingone F, Barberio B, et al. Functional bowel disorders with diarrhoea: Clinical guidelines of the United European Gastroenterology and European Society for Neurogastroenterology and Motility. United European Gastroenterol J. 2022;10(6):556-584.}

_{17. Sayuk GS, Wolf R, Chang L. Comparison of Symptoms, Healthcare Utilization, and Treatment in Diagnosed and Undiagnosed Individuals With Diarrhea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Am J Gastroenterol. 2017 Jun;112(6):892-899.}

_{18. Simrén, M., Tack, J. New treatments and therapeutic targets for IBS and other functional bowel disorders. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 15, 589–605 (2018).}

_{19. Sperber AD, Bangdiwala SI, Drossman DA, et al. Worldwide Prevalence and Burden of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, Results of Rome Foundation Global Study. Gastroenterology. 2021;160(1):99-114.e3.}

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Tags

Gut microbiota Irritable bowel syndrome Microbiome Flora