European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology
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Dyspepsia is a common problem necessitating strategies for investigation and management because of the scarcity of available resources for investigation, i.e. endoscopy, and the need to focus on those at risk of serious disease. It is agreed that those in the older age group, with the presence of alarm symptoms or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use require prompt endoscopy, but there remains a significant proportion of patients in whom the underlying diagnosis is unclear, presenting a management problem. Unfortunately, no universally applicable approach to investigation and management is available. ⋯ H. pylori status, may help in management. In addition, there is a clinical need for accurate, inexpensive tests of foregut motility. Integrating clinical data with specific investigation in dyspepsia is required in order for the practising clinician to better define the dyspeptic so that patients can be managed effectively and simply.