Irritable bowel syndrome. Definitive diagnostic criteria help focus symptomatic treatment.

A diagnosis of IBS can often be established on the basis of the Manning and Rome criteria, which delineate specific features. A limited evaluation to exclude organic disease confirms this clinical impression. Patients should be reassured that no serious organic illness is causing the symptoms and should be educated about the natural history of the disorder. Treatment must be directed at both achieving control of the gastrointestinal complaints and searching for an underlying psychological or social factor that may contribute to the disorder.