Rome Foundation Clinical Diagnostic Criteria for Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction
Douglas A. Drossman, Jan Tack
Abstract
The Rome criteria, which define disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBIs), are extensively applied in epidemiologic research, pathophysiologic studies, treatment trials, and clinical practice. The requirement for long periods of symptom presence and high symptom frequencies facilitated the use of the Rome criteria in epidemiology studies and treatment trials but has hampered clinical application when these requirements were not fulfilled. The Rome Foundation proposes a modification of the diagnostic criteria for clinical practice, where a DGBI diagnosis can still be made if (1) the nature of the symptoms corresponds to those in the DGBI Rome IV diagnostic criteria and (2) the symptoms are bothersome (interfering with daily activities or requiring attention, causing worry or interference with quality of life).