Making a positive diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) state that invasive tests, such as colonoscopy, are not required to make a diagnosis of IBS.1 However, in a recent survey conducted among GPs, approximately 70% believed that IBS was a diagnosis of exclusion,2 although whether this meant that they felt invasive investigations were required to reach a diagnosis of IBS was...