title: When and how to investigate the dyspeptic patient.
abstract: When and how to investigate the dyspeptic patient is an issue that requires careful analysis and excludes dogmatic assertions. There are several key decision factors that must be considered on a case-by-case basis: who is the patient, what kind of physician cares for the patient, and what level of uncertainty are both patient and physician prepared to accept? These factors determine to a large extent whether reassurance only, a therapeutic trial, or diagnostic investigation will be carried out. The latter may also be stratified at two levels: a basic level at which the aim to exclude major organic disease as the cause of dyspeptic symptoms and a higher level at which more complex imaging and physiologic tests would be carried out to achieve a more precise diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Digestive System Research Unit, Hospital General Vall d'Hebron, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Malagelada
mesh_terms: D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans