Irritable bowel syndrome physical examination
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:
Overview
Patients with IBS usually appear normal on physical exam. Physical examination of patients with IBS may elicit abdominal tenderness in some patients. A digital rectal examination must be performed in all patients to rule out rectal growths, blood in stool and evaluate for dyssynergic defecation (where paradoxical contraction of the rectal sphincter occurs on straining, leading to constipation). Physical findings such as fever, abdominal mass, hepatosplenomegaly, lymph node enlargement, weight loss, peritoneal signs and ascites are absent in IBS and help rule out organic causes.
Physical Examination
Appearance of the Patient
- Patients with IBS usually appear normal/mildly distressed.
Vital Signs
- Afebrile
- Regular pulse
- Normal blood pressure
- Normal respiratory rate
- IBS-diarrhea patients with dehydration/hypovolemia as a complication develop:[1]
Skin
- Skin turgor is normal in most patients
- IBS-diarrhea patients with dehydration/hypovolemia as a complication develop:
Lungs
- Normal chest expansion
- Normal vesicular breath sounds in B/L lung fields
- Normal tactile fremitus
Heart
Abdomen
Findings on abdominal examination are as follows:[2][3][4]
- Examination results are usually normal
- Abdominal distention may be present
- Abdominal tenderness may be elicited in different quadrants
- Absence of abdominal masses, hepatospleenomegaly
- Normal bowel sounds
Rectal exam
- IBS patients usually have a normal rectal exam.To rule out organic causes of constipation and diarrhea, rectal exam must be done in patients to evaluate for: [5][6][7][8]
- presence of stool and its consistency
- Rectal tenderness
- Strictures
- Masses
- rectal prolapse
- Fistulas
- Hemorrhoids
- Abscesses
- Fissures
- impaired sphincter function due to a neurologic disorder
- responses of the puborectalis and external anal sphincter muscles while straining to rule out dyssynergic defecation
References
- ↑ McGee S, Abernethy WB, Simel DL (1999). "The rational clinical examination. Is this patient hypovolemic?". JAMA. 281 (11): 1022–9. PMID 10086438.
- ↑ Brandt LJ, Chey WD, Foxx-Orenstein AE, Schiller LR, Schoenfeld PS, Spiegel BM, Talley NJ, Quigley EM (2009). "An evidence-based position statement on the management of irritable bowel syndrome". Am. J. Gastroenterol. 104 Suppl 1: S1–35. doi:10.1038/ajg.2008.122. PMID 19521341.
- ↑ Schmulson MW, Chang L (1999). "Diagnostic approach to the patient with irritable bowel syndrome". Am. J. Med. 107 (5A): 20S–26S. PMID 10588169.
- ↑ Svendsen JH, Munck LK, Andersen JR (1985). "Irritable bowel syndrome--prognosis and diagnostic safety. A 5-year follow-up study". Scand. J. Gastroenterol. 20 (4): 415–8. PMID 4023607.
- ↑ Whitehead WE, Palsson OS, Feld AD, Levy RL, VON Korff M, Turner MJ, Drossman DA (2006). "Utility of red flag symptom exclusions in the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome". Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. 24 (1): 137–46. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2036.2006.02956.x. PMID 16803612.
- ↑ Kruis W, Thieme C, Weinzierl M, Schüssler P, Holl J, Paulus W (1984). "A diagnostic score for the irritable bowel syndrome. Its value in the exclusion of organic disease". Gastroenterology. 87 (1): 1–7. PMID 6724251.
- ↑ Talley NJ (2008). "How to do and interpret a rectal examination in gastroenterology". Am. J. Gastroenterol. 103 (4): 820–2. doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.2008.01832.x. PMID 18397419.
- ↑ Tantiphlachiva K, Rao P, Attaluri A, Rao SS (2010). "Digital rectal examination is a useful tool for identifying patients with dyssynergia". Clin. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 8 (11): 955–60. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2010.06.031. PMID 20656061.