Manning criteria

The Manning criteria are a diagnostic algorithm used in the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The criteria consist of a list of questions the physician can ask the patient. The answers are used in a process to produce a diagnostic decision regarding whether the patient can be considered to have IBS.

The Manning criteria have been compared with other diagnostic algorithms for IBS, such as the Rome I criteria, the Rome II process, and the Kruis criteria. A 2013 validation study found the Manning criteria to have less sensitivity but more specificity than the Rome criteria.

The threshold for a positive diagnosis varies from two to four of the Manning criteria below.
 * 1) Onset of pain linked to more frequent bowel movements
 * 2) Looser stools associated with onset of pain
 * 3) Pain relieved by passage of stool
 * 4) Noticeable abdominal bloating
 * 5) Sensation of incomplete evacuation more than 25% of the time
 * 6) Diarrhea with mucus more than 25% of the time