Table 3.

Practical implications of consensus statements for physicians

Grade of evidence for effect	Symptoms/indications	Meaning for physicians
High	Overall symptoms and abdominal pain in IBS Prevention or reduction of diarrhoea in patients receiving antibiotics Prevention or reduction of diarrhoea in patients receiving Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy	Probiotics with supportive evidence for benefit should be tried
Moderate	Bowel movements and bloating/distension in IBS	Probiotics with supportive evidence for benefit could be tried
Low	Overall symptoms in IBS‐D Flatus in IBS Constipation in IBS	Probiotics with supportive evidence for benefit could be considered
Very low	Overall symptoms in IBS‐C Diarrhoea in IBS	Currently no evidence to support use of probiotics

IBS, irritable bowel syndrome; IBS‐C, constipation‐predominant IBS; IBS‐D, diarrhoea‐predominant IBS.