Volume 72, Issue 4 pp. 538-541
Short Communications: Gastroenterology

Diagnostic Accuracy of the Rome IV Criteria for the Diagnosis of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children

Carlos A. Velasco-Benítez

Carlos A. Velasco-Benítez

Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia

Programa de Doctorado en Medicina Clínica y Salud Pública, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain

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Lina F. Gómez-Oliveros

Lina F. Gómez-Oliveros

Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia

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Lina M. Rubio-Molina

Lina M. Rubio-Molina

Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia

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José R. Tovar-Cuevas

José R. Tovar-Cuevas

Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia

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Miguel Saps

Corresponding Author

Miguel Saps

Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Miguel Saps, MD, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 1601 NW 12 Ave, Suite 3005A, Miami, FL 33136 (e-mail: [email protected])Search for more papers by this author
First published: 23 December 2020
Citations: 18

Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL citations appear in the printed text, and links to the digital files are provided in the HTML text of this article on the journal's Web site (www.jpgn.org).

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

ABSTRACT

The diagnosis of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) centers on symptoms-based criteria (Rome criteria). The last edition of the criteria was published in 2016. Still, few data on its validity support its use in children. We conducted a study aimed at determining the diagnostic accuracy of the Rome IV criteria through the application of questionnaires (Questionnaire of Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms-Rome IV QPGS-IV) to diagnose FGIDs in children. We hypothesized that the Rome IV criteria has adequate diagnostic accuracy supporting its use for diagnosing FGIDs in children.

Methods:

School children ages 10 to 18 years from Cali (Colombia) completed the Spanish version of the QPGS-IV. Children with FGIDs were matched with a group of children without FGIDs. Both groups had a medical consultation with a blinded experienced pediatric gastroenterologist (criterion standard) who provided his diagnosis. The questionnaire-based diagnoses were compared with the consultation's diagnoses.

Results:

Of 487 schoolchildren surveyed with the QPGS-IV, 97 (20.8%) had FGIDs. Eighty-nine with FGIDs were matched with 92 children without FGIDs (mean age 13.1 years [±1.3]). We found a higher prevalence of FGIDs during the medical visit than using the self-report QPGS-IV (66.3% vs 49.2%, P = 0.001), mainly in abdominal pain disorders (19.3% vs 10.5%, P = 0.013). The Rome IV diagnostic criteria using the QPGS-IV had a sensitivity of 75% (95% confidence interval, 59–79) and 90% specificity (95% confidence interval, 83–98). Positive predictive value is 85.8%, and negative predictive value is 79.9%.

Conclusion:

Our study suggests that the QPGS-IV has adequate diagnostic accuracy.

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