Diagnostic of Irritable Bowel Syndrome… Calprotectin Test

NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) in the UK, strongly advises GPs to carry out this test, as it would avoid other more invasive tests to be carried out such as colonoscopies, when there is no need to for it.

A faecal sample used in this test would enable a diagnostic of an inflammatory bowel disease to take place (such as Ulcerative colitis or Chron disease) discarding the presence of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which would facilitate an early diagnose of both of these illness and give way to a more effective treatment.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is an intestinal alteration of unknown origin that affects millions of people in the world, usually young people between the ages of 20 and 30 and whose main symptoms would be:

• Abdominal pain.
• A feeling of fullness after meals.
• Diahorreas that alternate with constipation.
• A change in the frequency and consistency of faeces.
• Flatulency or an increase in intestinal gas.
• Abdominal distension (A feeling of having eaten too much, when it is not the case).
• Rectal tenesmus or pain at the end of defecation, as well as a feeling of not finishing yet.
• Mucous in faeces.
• Others.

The treatment is aimed at treating the symptoms and taking preventative measures such as:

• Avoiding particular foods that not tolerated by the patient.
• Avoiding stimulating drinks.
• Not smoking.
• Cognitive therapy to alleviate stress and depression.
• Antispasmodics for abdominal pains.

In conclusion, the Calprotectin Test aids GPs in differentiating between inflammatory illnesses, which would produce a positive result, and irritable bowel syndrome, which would produce a negative result in the test.

The healthcare system would generate immense savings that could be invested in the public healthcare system and in turn would generate more preventative measures, research opportunities and a chance to develop new treatments.

Dr. J. Hurtado Martínez

Medical Director of HealthSalus