What general practitioners know about irritable bowel syndrome. Preliminary data from a Romanian province

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder in Romania, managed frequently by General Practitioners (GPs). It is necessary to assess the knowledge of GPs on IBS. A preliminary investigation was carried out in two Romanian counties.

One hundred GPs were invited to a two hour, free, updating course on IBS. The participants were asked to fill a questionnaire before and after the course which comprised questions about medical experience, demography, and several multiple-choice questions about GPs opinions and awareness. The final question assessed the estimated prevalence of IBS in the practice.

Full responses to both questionnaires were obtained from all attending GPs (n=88). They were 25 males: 63 females, with working experience between 3 and 41 years (mean +/- SD: 24 +/- 11). Apart from 2 (2.4%) who indicated that IBS is a motility disorder (opinion revised after the course), all other GPs considered IBS as a functional disorder. All (100%) opted for the necessity of colonoscopy to diagnose IBS. 98.8% indicated the use of Rome II criteria for the diagnosis of IBS (this survey was done before the availability of Rome III but their advent was mentioned). All (100%) had participated in previous lectures or courses on IBS. 58 (66%) reported the prevalence of IBS in their practice between 1-10%; 16 (18%) between 10-25%; 11 (12.5%) between 25-33%; 3 (3.5%) reported <1%.

The investigated GPs seem to be well trained in recognizing IBS. The majority (66%) estimated the prevalence of this condition as 1-10% in their practice.