IRRITABLE BOWEL

The distressing symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS, =Irritable or Spastic Colon, Mucous Colitis) may feature as a major component of quantum in abdominal Medical Malpractice suits.

Various patterns of recurrent abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation, and gassiness affect up to a fifth of the normal population[1]. This is a benign condition, for which emotional stress is believed to be a major factor.

Women after uncomplicated cholecystectomy experienced urgency of defecation, whereas after hysterectomy they reported more symptoms of constipation[2]. Another study[3] of routine hysterectomy found that 8% of women developed constipation-dominant IBS, and a further 5% experienced a worsening of their pre-existing symptoms. However, this adverse effect was balanced by 13% whose IBS symptoms were improved by the surgery.

PRACTICE POINT Irritable Bowel Syndrome is common in the healthy and in the normal postoperative population.

These changes in bowel functioning appear to be an exaggeration of the normal fluctuation in symptoms reported by unselected postal questionnaire[4].

A new study[5] has shown that major determinants of poor prognosis in IBS are the length of history and the number and severity of accompanying psychological symptoms.

PRACTICE POINT As an expression of emotional distress IBS may be factored into a claim for damages arising from medical negligence.

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