Screening of faecal samples for blood and microorganisms is commonplace, yet testing that can distinguish irritable from inflammatory bowel conditions, and detect pancreatic exocrine insufficiency. is equally important, as this review illustrates.
Gastrointestinal disease, including conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; most commonly Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), coeliac disease and food allergy, is a significant healthcare burden on the NHS. Gastrointestinal symptoms are one of the most common complaints patients present with and frequently these symptoms are representative of several gastrointestinal diseases, making it difficult to diagnose on a clinical history alone.
In terms of symptoms, IBS and IBD are the two gastrointestinal diseases that are most similar. Common symptoms include abdominal pain, chronic diarrhoea, bloating, anaemia, fatigue and depression. However, IBS and IBD are somewhat different in terms of pathology, treatment options, prevalence, prognosis and quality of life.
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