Utility of red flag symptom exclusions in the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome

Summary Background Studies suggest that the positive predictive value of the Rome II criteria for diagnosing irritable bowel syndrome can be enhanced by excluding red flag symptoms suggestive of organic diseases. Aim We assessed the utility of red flags for detecting organic diseases in patients diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome by their physicians. Methods Systematic chart reviews were completed in 1434 patients with clinical diagnoses of...