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Updated: Mar 21, 2026
08:33
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction-based Analyses of Murine Intestinal Microbiota After Oral Antibiotic Treatment
Published on: November 17, 2018
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Antibiotic Use During Gastrointestinal Infections Increases the Risk of Developing Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A
Luigi Colecchia1,2, Giovanni Marasco1,2, Cecilia Capelli1,2
1Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
The American Journal of Gastroenterology
|March 20, 2026
Summary
Antibiotic use is linked to a higher incidence of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). This risk is particularly elevated when antibiotics are prescribed for gastrointestinal infections, though more research is needed.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology and Microbiology
- Clinical Epidemiology
Background:
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a gut-brain interaction disorder impacting quality of life.
- Antibiotic-induced alterations in gut microbiota are a suspected trigger for IBS development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze the incidence of IBS following antibiotic exposure.
- To compare IBS incidence in antibiotic users versus non-users.
Main Methods:
- Searched Medline, Embase, Scopus, and conference abstracts up to June 2025.
- Included studies reporting new IBS diagnoses in antibiotic-exposed patients vs. controls.
- Pooled incidence rates and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs); assessed heterogeneity (I2).
Main Results:
- Included 31 studies with 422,350 patients; pooled IBS incidence was 26% in antibiotic users vs. 20% in non-users (IRR: 1.3; 95% CI: 1.07-1.58).
- Risk increased significantly when antibiotics were used for GI infections (IRR: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.16-2.51).
- High heterogeneity (I2 > 90%) observed; meta-regression identified geographical area, diagnostic criteria, and study quality as sources of variation.
Conclusions:
- Antibiotic use is associated with an increased risk of developing IBS.
- The association is stronger following gastrointestinal infections.
- Significant heterogeneity necessitates further high-quality research to confirm findings.
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