5-Minute Emergency Consult
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Basics
Description
- Syndrome of abdominal pain associated with altered bowel habits and no other pathology explaining symptoms
- Prevalence estimated to be 10–15%
Etiology
- Many possible contributing factors
- Altered GI motility:
- Increased intensity and/or frequency of intestinal peristalsis
- Visceral hyperalgesia:
- Exaggerated response felt as pain to normal GI physiology
- Mucosal inflammation:
- Increased numbers of lymphocytes, mast cells, and cytokines
- Postinfectious:
- Risk of IBS is 4 times higher after acute gastroenteritis
- Altered microflora in small bowel or feces
- Food sensitivity may be a factor
- There appears to be a genetic component
- Psychosocial dysfunction:
- IBS appears to be associated with fibromyalgia, reflux, noncardiac chest pain, depression, anxiety, somatoform disorders, and history of abuse
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Citation
Schaider, Jeffrey J., et al., editors. "Irritable Bowel Syndrome." 5-Minute Emergency Consult, 6th ed., Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2020. Emergency Central, emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307705/1.3/Irritable_Bowel_Syndrome_.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome. In: Schaider JJJ, Barkin RMR, Hayden SRS, et al, eds. 5-Minute Emergency Consult. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2020. https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307705/1.3/Irritable_Bowel_Syndrome_. Accessed June 15, 2026.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome. (2020). In Schaider, J. J., Barkin, R. M., Hayden, S. R., Wolfe, R. E., Barkin, A. Z., Shayne, P., & Rosen, P. (Eds.), 5-Minute Emergency Consult (6th ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307705/1.3/Irritable_Bowel_Syndrome_
Irritable Bowel Syndrome [Internet]. In: Schaider JJJ, Barkin RMR, Hayden SRS, et al, eds. 5-Minute Emergency Consult. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2020. [cited 2026 June 15]. Available from: https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/5-Minute_Emergency_Consult/307705/1.3/Irritable_Bowel_Syndrome_.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
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T1 - Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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ED - Hayden,Stephen R,
ED - Wolfe,Richard E,
BT - 5-Minute Emergency Consult
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