The diagnosis of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) is based on symptoms. The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the Rome IV criteria by using questionnaires (Questionnaire of Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms-Rome IV QPGS-IV) to identify FGIDs in children. The researchers anticipated that the Rome IV criteria had sufficient diagnostic accuracy to warrant its use in the diagnosis of FGIDs in children. Cali (Colombia) schoolchildren aged 10 to 18 years completed the Spanish version of the QPGS-IV. Children with FGIDs were paired with children who did not have FGIDs. Both groups received medical advice from a blinded expert paediatric gastroenterologist (criterion standard), who offered his diagnosis. The questionnaire-based diagnoses were compared to the diagnoses obtained during the session.
97 of the 487 pupils polled with the QPGS-IV had FGIDs. Eighty-nine children with FGIDs were matched with 92 children who did not have FGIDs. They discovered a greater incidence of FGIDs during medical visits than with the self-report QPGS-IV, primarily in abdominal pain problems. The Rome IV diagnostic criteria utilising the QPGS-IV has a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 90%. The positive predictive value is 85.8 percent, while the negative predictive value is 79%. According to the findings, the QPGS-IV offers sufficient diagnostic accuracy.
