Belgian consensus on the management of patients with functional dyspepsia

Background: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a disorder of gutbrain interaction characterised by epigastric pain, epigastric burning, early satiation or postprandial fullness. Despite its high prevalence, clinicians struggle with the diagnosis and management of these patients. Methods: A Delphi consensus was conducted by 20 experts from Belgium, and consisted of a literature review, summarising the existing evidence, and a voting process on 119 statements. Grading of recommendations, assessment, development and evaluation criteria were applied to evaluate the quality of evidence. Consensus was defined as > 80 % agreement. Results: Belgian consensus underlines the multifactorial aetiology of FD. In addition to the cardinal symptoms, bloating and weight loss are also observed in FD. Functional dyspepsia co-exists with other DGBIs, including IBS. Subtyping based on the postprandial nature of symptoms is recommended. Patients should receive a positive diagnosis. Additional testing is not routinely required before initiating therapy, except in the presence of alarm features or treatment-refractory symptoms, and can consist of upper GI endoscopy, abdominal imaging and gastric emptying testing. The consensus refuted the role of carbohydrate malabsorption testing, pyloric impedance planimetry, pH/impedance monitoring, food allergy testing and permeability testing in FD. Explanation and reassurance, also addressing lifestyle factors, represent the cornerstone of the management. Proton Pump Inhibitors are considered the firstline pharmacological treatment. With the exception of specific neuromodulators, the panel did not achieve consensus for other therapeutic options. This consensus recommends against restrictive diets, invasive endoscopic or surgical treatment, parenteral nutrition, antibiotics, spasmolytics and opioids in the management of FD. Conclusion: A panel of Belgian experts summarised the existing evidence on the aetiology, presentation, diagnosis and treatment of FD with attention to the availability within the Belgian healthcare system. Areas of future research are identified.