Management of inflammatory bowel disease in France: a nationwide survey among private gastroenterologists.

Background: Data on the current management of inflammatory bowel disease are scarce.

Methods: This was a nationwide survey among 65 private gastroenterologists treating patients with inflammatory bowel disease in France in 2012.

Results: A total of 375 inflammatory bowel disease patients were analysed: 48% had ulcerative colitis.

The effect of inactivated Lactobacillus LB fermented culture medium on symptom severity: observational investigation in 297 patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.

Introduction: Little is known about the intensity of symptoms of diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D) or the consequences of the disease on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This observational investigation assessed the symptoms (abdominal pain, bloating, number of stools per day, and stool consistency), impact on HRQOL, and consequence on anal continence in 297 patients with IBS-D before and after 1 month of probiotic treatment with Lacteol (inactivated Lactobacillus LB plus fermented culture medium).

Methods: Functional assessment using a standardized visual analogue scale in order to quantify abdominal pain, bloating, and quality of life before and after 1 month of treatment with 2 capsules/day of Lacteol.