title: Prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms six months after bacterial gastroenteritis and risk factors for development of the irritable bowel syndrome: postal survey of patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms six months after bacterial gastroenteritis and determine risk factors and associations with postdysenteric symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Postal questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nottingham Health Authority.
  
  
  METHODS
  544 people with microbiologically confirmed bacterial gastroenteritis between July 1994 and December 1994.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms and relative risks for development of the irritable bowel syndrome and self reported altered bowel habit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A quarter of subjects reported persistence of altered bowel habit six months after an episode of infective gastroenteritis. Increasing duration of diarrhoea, younger age, and female sex increased this risk, whereas vomiting as part of the illness reduced the risk. One in 14 developed the irritable bowel syndrome with an increased risk seen in women (relative risk 3.4: 95% confidence interval 1.2 to 9.8) and with duration of diarrhoea (6.5; 1.3 to 34 for 15-21 days).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Persistence of bowel symptoms commonly occurs after bacterial gastroenteritis and is responsible for considerable morbidity and health care costs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Medicine, University of Nottingham.
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Neal
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hebden
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Spiller
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000150:complications*; D003109:Colonic Diseases, Functional / Q000209:etiology*; D003672:Defecation; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology; D004405:Dysentery, Bacillary / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012478:Salmonella Food Poisoning / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology