GASTROENTEROLOGY ARTICLE OF THE WEEK
January 31, 2008
Quigley EM. A 51 year old with irritable bowel syndrome: Test or treat for bacterial overgrowth? Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2007;5:1140-1143
True or False
1. Accelerated small bowel transit may lead to a false diagnosis of SIBO by breath testing
2. Response rates obtained after empiric therapy with non-absorbable antibiotics are similar to placebo response rates in IBS trials
3. The presence of SIBO in IBS patients can be predicted based on the patient’s clinical symptoms.
4. There are reliable and reproducible tests to diagnose SIBO
5. Antibiotic therapy may be helpful in IBS not by treating SIBO, but by altering the colonic flora