Version 1
: Received: 29 February 2024 / Approved: 6 March 2024 / Online: 6 March 2024 (04:45:49 CET)
How to cite:
Ferrarini, F.; Milazzo, G. Probiotics in the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in General Practice: A Real-World Narrative Review. Preprints2024, 2024030312. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202403.0312.v1
Ferrarini, F.; Milazzo, G. Probiotics in the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in General Practice: A Real-World Narrative Review. Preprints 2024, 2024030312. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202403.0312.v1
Ferrarini, F.; Milazzo, G. Probiotics in the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in General Practice: A Real-World Narrative Review. Preprints2024, 2024030312. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202403.0312.v1
APA Style
Ferrarini, F., & Milazzo, G. (2024). Probiotics in the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in General Practice: A Real-World Narrative Review. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202403.0312.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Ferrarini, F. and Giuseppe Milazzo. 2024 "Probiotics in the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in General Practice: A Real-World Narrative Review" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202403.0312.v1
Abstract
BackgroundAlthough the management of the majority of patients with IBS is dealt with by General Practitioners, randomized clinical trials and treatment guidelines are developed mostly in academic settings. Probiotics are one of the most investigated treatment modality for this condition. Scarce information is available as regards GPs attitude in this regard.MethodsA literature search was performed to identify papers specifically dealing with probiotic treatment of IBS in the general practice setting. Moreover, the preliminary results of a survey on this topic conducted by the authors among general practitioners in a province in northern Italy are reported.ResultsFive papers specifically addressing probiotic treatment of IBS in general practice were found. The response rate varied from 4 to 100%. The prescription rate of probiotics by GPs in IBS varied from <10 to 46%, regardless of the patients’ bowel habits. Physicians’ satisfaction with this treatment varied from 20 to 93%. The variability of these results probably depends on factors such as differences in the interpretation of the available data on probiotics use in IBS and traditional/ cultural differences. Moreover, compliance with patient satisfaction, may play a role. ConclusionsThe reported data on the treatment of IBS with probiotics in general practice is scarce and inhomogeneous, thus it does not allow firm conclusions. It is suggested that the involvement in research on the use of probiotics in IBS of physicians working in general practice would be useful in order to pursue more reliable and useful results, since the majority of the IBS population is followed in general practice and may differ from the one represented in academic clinical trials.
Keywords
Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Probiotics; General Practice
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
