Utility of Diagnostic Tests in Children With Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders

Alejandro Llanos-Chea; Miguel Saps

Utility of Diagnostic Tests in Children With Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders

Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 2019 Aug;15(8):414-422.

Authors

Alejandro Llanos-Chea¹, Miguel Saps¹

Affiliation

¹ Dr Llanos-Chea is an assistant professor of pediatrics and Dr Saps is a professor of pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida.

PMID: 31592242
PMCID: PMC6771033

Abstract

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) and functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPDs) are common in pediatric patients. The prevalence of FGIDs using the Rome IV criteria ranges from 21.1% to 25.0% in children. The Rome IV criteria specify that the decision of testing is left to the clinician, giving him or her freedom to decide on the necessary workup. The clinician should consider all of the functional and organic diseases that manifest with chronic abdominal pain, as well as alarm features that should prompt testing. Societal guidelines and reports do not recommend routine evaluations for FAPDs, particularly in the absence of alarm features. Studies have reported variable results upon assessing the diagnostic yields of different tests. Furthermore, these evaluations considerably increase costs for the health care system. This article examines the current evidence on the utility of diagnostic testing in pediatric patients with FAPDs.

Keywords: Functional abdominal pain disorders; Rome IV; endoscopy; fecal calprotectin.