Functional bowel disorders (FBDs) are gastrointestinal (GI) disorders related to the middle or lower GI tract that lack identifiable pathoetiology. FBDs include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); recurrent abdominal pain (RAP); chronic bloating, constipation, and/or diarrhea; and other unspecified chronic bowel disorders. Hadler et al reported FBDs in up to 40% of the community. In 2004, it was estimated that 4 out of every 100 emergency department visits were due to FBDs, accounting for more than 11 million visits. In a study of 3,933 subjects, 18% reported chronic diarrhea, 16% chronic constipation, 15% abdominal pain, 10% symptoms of IBS, and 2% dyspepsia. The economic burden is estimated to be as high as dollar1.6 billion for IBS and dollar621 million for chronic diarrhea.
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