ArticleGut2000
Irritable bowel syndrome in general practice: prevalence, characteristics, and referral.
Article in Gut, 2000. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 126 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
126 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 476 citations in OpenAlex.
- Homeopathy for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019Pooled it
- Screening for Celiac Disease in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.The American journal of gastroenterology · 2017Pooled it
- Guideline
- Low-dose titrated amitriptyline as second-line treatment for adults with irritable bowel syndrome in primary care: the ATLANTIS RCT.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2024Trial
- A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of a multi-strain probiotic formulation (Bio-Kult®) in the management of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.BMC gastroenterology · 2018Trial
- Evaluating a computer aid for assessing stomach symptoms (ECASS): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.Trials · 2016Trial
- Trial
- Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity Has Narrowed the Spectrum of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.Nutrients · 2015Trial
- A randomised controlled trial of a probiotic 'functional food' in the management of irritable bowel syndrome.BMC gastroenterology · 2013Trial
- Soluble or insoluble fibre in irritable bowel syndrome in primary care? Randomised placebo controlled trial.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2009Trial
- Treatments for irritable bowel syndrome: patients' attitudes and acceptability.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2008Trial
- Trial
- Gut-directed hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome: piloting a primary care-based randomised controlled trial.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2006Trial
- Validation of irritable bowel syndrome Global Improvement Scale: an integrated symptom end point for assessing treatment efficacy.Digestive diseases and sciences · 2003Trial
- Irritable bowel syndrome.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2026Review
- Electronics-free soft robotic minitablet for on-demand gastric molecular sensing and diagnostics in vivo.Science advances · 2026Article
- Common misconceptions and controversies in the management of irritable bowel syndrome.Nature reviews. Gastroenterology & hepatology · 2025Review
- Economic Evaluations of Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Treating Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction: A Scoping Review.PharmacoEconomics · 2025Article
- Disaccharidase Enzyme Deficiency in Adult Patients With Gas and Bloating.Clinical and translational gastroenterology · 2025Article
- Multimorbidity of Allergic Diseases Is Associated With Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in a Young Japanese Population.Journal of neurogastroenterology and motility · 2024Article
66 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimsLittle is known about the prevalence, symptoms, diagnosis, attitude, and referral to specialists of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in general practice. This study aimed to determine these characteristics.
methods3111 patients attending 36 general practitioners (GPs) at six varied locations in and near Bristol, UK, were screened to identify those with a gastrointestinal problem. These patients (n=255) and their doctors were given questionnaires. Six months later the case notes were examined to reach criteria based diagnoses of functional bowel disorders.
resultsOf 255 patients with a gastrointestinal complaint, 30% were judged to have IBS and 14% other functional disorders. Compared with 100 patients with an "organic" diagnoses, those with IBS were more often women and more often judged by their GP to be polysymptomatic and to have unexplained symptoms. The majority of patients with IBS (58%) were diagnosed as such by the GP; 22% had other functional diagnoses. Conversely, among 54 patients diagnosed as having IBS by the GPs, the criteria based diagnosis was indeed functional in 91%; only one patient had organic disease (proctitis). More patients with IBS than those with organic disease feared cancer. In most some fear remained after the visit to the doctor. On logistic regression analysis, predictors of referral to a specialist (29% referred) were denial of a role for stress, multiple tests, and frequent bowel movements.
conclusionsHalf the patients with gut complaints seen by GPs have functional disorders. These are usually recognised, and few patients are referred. In IBS, cancer fears often remain, suggesting unconfident diagnosis or inadequate explanation.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.