Patient-reported outcomes and gut dysmotility in functional gastrointestinal disorders

Unlike chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIIP), severe digestive syndromes that are not characterized by episodes resembling mechanical obstruction remain poorly characterized. The present study compared clinical features, small bowel motility, and quality of life (QoL) in patients with CIIP or severe functional gastrointestinal disorders (SFGID), compared to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

We enrolled 215 consecutive patients: 70 CIIP, 110 malnourished SFGID [body mass index (BMI) 17.8±1.8kg m(-2) ] and 35 non-malnourished SFGID (BMI 22.8±3.6kgm(-2) ).

Abnormal motor patterns that fulfilled diagnostic criteria for small bowel dysmotility were virtually absent in IBS patients, but were recorded in69 CIIP patients (98.6%), 82 malnourished SFGID patients (74.5%;), and 23 SFGID patients without malnutrition (65.7%) (P<0.0001). CIIP patients presented more frequently abnormal activity fronts, lack of response to feeding, and hypomotility than malnourished and non-malnourished SFGID patients (61.4%vs 42.7% and 31.4%, P<0.05 only vs non-malnourished SFGID; 8.6%vs 0.9% and 2.9%; 21.4%vs 0.9% and 0%, P<0.05). Quality of life mean scores were all significantly lower in CIIP patients and malnourished SFGID patients than in IBS. Bodily pain, general health, and vitality scores were lower in CIIP also compared to non-malnourished SFGID.

Chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction and SFGIDs are frequently associated with small bowel dysmotility and marked derangements of QoL which are significantly more severe than in IBS and result particularly in being severe in patients with recurrent sub occlusive episodes or inability to maintain a normal body weight.