Health

What treatment options are available for patients with irritable bowel syndrome? Many different treatment modalities exist for treating IBS and the choice is determined by the predominant stool type(s) (constipation, diarrhea, mixed). Treatment options include diet modification, behavioral therapy, probiotics, antibiotics, antidepressants, laxatives, antidiarrheals, secretagogues, antispasmodics, serotonin antagonists, and bile-acid binding agents. Treatments should be …

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What criteria are used to diagnose irritable bowel syndrome? IBS is classically diagnosed by the Rome criteria, which were recently updated. IBS is defined as abdominal pain associated with at least two of the following: (A) the pain is temporally related to defecation, or (B) the pain is associated with a change in the patient’s …

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What is irritable bowel syndrome, and how is it subcategorized? Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder characterized by abdominal pain associated with changes in stool frequency and/or texture. It is categorized into four major subgroups dependent on the predominant stool consistency. These include IBS-C (constipation predominant), IBS-D (diarrhea predominant), IBS-M (alternate between diarrhea and constipation), …

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What are the two subtypes of inflammatory bowel disease, and how does pain typically present in inflammatory bowel disease patients? Inflammatory bowel disease can be subdivided into Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC). Both of these diseases can present with abdominal pain, change in bowel habits, and weight loss. Pain is usually a more predominant …

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What causes liver related abdominal pain? Do patients with chronic liver disease typically have liver-related abdominal pain? Most chronic liver diseases, such as viral hepatitis, alcoholic cirrhosis, and fatty liver disease, do not cause abdominal pain. Instead, they may present with complications such as jaundice, variceal bleeding, or ascites. Liver-related pain is caused by stretching …

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How is chronic mesenteric ischemia treated When is treatment indicated for chronic mesenteric ischemia? Why is treatment important? All patients with symptomatic chronic mesenteric ischemia should be treated. The goal of treatment is both to improve symptoms and to prevent future complications. Treatment options include open and endovascular repair of the involved vascular structures. After …

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What is the difference in presentation between acute and chronic mesenteric ischemia? How is this difference explained by the underlying pathophysiology? Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) typically presents with sudden-onset abdominal pain. The pain is classically “out of proportion to findings on physical exam,” because early in the presentation of AMI the patient may have a …

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