The Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) is an interview-based rating scale consisting of 15 items. It can be used to assess abdominal symptoms in patients with the irritable bowel syndrome or peptic ulcer disease. It is useful for comparing the effectiveness of different therapeutic interventions.
Parameters:
(1) abdominal pain: representing subjectively experienced bodily discomfort, aches and pains.
(2) heartburn: representing retrosternal discomfort or burning sensations.
(3) acid regurgitation: representing sudden regurgitation of acid gastric contents.
(4) sucking sensation in the epigastrium: representing a sucking sensation in the epigastrium with relief by food or antacids. If food or antacids are not available, the sucking sensations progress to aches and pains.
(5) nausea and vomiting: representing nausea which may increase to vomiting.
(6) borborygmus: representing reports of abdominal rumbling.
(7) abdominal distension: representing bloating with abdominal gas.
(8) eructation: representing reports of belching.
(9) increased flatus: representing reports of excessive wind.
(10) decreased passage of stools: representing reported reduced defecation.
(11) increased passage of stools: representing reported increased defecation.
(12) loose stools: representing reported loose stools.
(13) hard stools: representing reported hard stools.
(14) urgent need for defecation: representing reports of urgent need for defecation, feelings of incomplete control, and inability to control defecation.
(15) feeling of incomplete evacuation: representing reports of defecation with straining and a feeling of incomplete evacuation of stools.
Rating is done based on the applicable factors, such as intensity, frequency, duration, request for relief, and impact on social performance.
(1) Frequency of stool passage (decreased, increased) is distinguished from consistency
(2) Stool consistency is rated independent of the feelings of incomplete evacuation.
|
Parameter |
Finding |
Points |
|---|---|---|
|
abdominal pain |
no or transient pain |
0 |
|
|
occasional aches and pains interfering with some social activities |
1 |
|
|
prolonged and troublesome aches and pains causing requests for relief and interfering with many social activities |
2 |
|
|
severe or crippling pains with impact on all social activities |
3 |
|
heartburn |
no or transient heartburn |
0 |
|
|
occasional discomfort of short duration |
1 |
|
|
frequent episodes of prolonged discomfort; requests for relief |
2 |
|
|
continuous discomfort with only transient relief by antacids |
3 |
|
acid regurgitation |
no or transient regurgitation |
0 |
|
|
occasional troublesome regurgitation |
1 |
|
|
regurgitation once or twice a day; requests relief |
2 |
|
|
regurgitation several times a day; only transient and insignificant relief from antacids |
3 |
|
sucking sensation in the epigastrium |
no or transient sucking sensation |
0 |
|
|
occasional discomfort of short duration; no requests for food or antacids between meals |
1 |
|
|
frequent episodes of prolonged discomfort; requests for food and antacids between meals |
2 |
|
|
continuous discomfort; frequent requests for food or antacids between meals |
3 |
|
nausea and vomiting |
no nausea |
0 |
|
|
occasional episodes of brief duration |
1 |
|
|
frequent and prolonged nausea; no vomiting |
2 |
|
|
continuous nausea; frequent vomiting |
3 |
|
borborygmus |
no or transient borborygmus |
0 |
|
|
occasional troublesome borborygmus of short duration |
1 |
|
|
frequent and prolonged episodes which can be mastered by moving without impairing social performance |
2 |
|
|
continuous borborygmus severely interfering with social performance |
3 |
|
abdominal distension |
no or transient distension |
0 |
|
|
occasional discomfort of short duration |
1 |
|
|
frequent and prolonged episodes which can be mastered by adjusting the clothing |
2 |
|
|
continuous discomfort seriously interfering with social performance |
3 |
|
eructation |
no or transient eructation |
0 |
|
|
occasional troublesome eructation |
1 |
|
|
frequent episodes interfering with some social activities |
2 |
|
|
frequent episodes seriously interfering with social performance |
3 |
|
increased flatus |
no increased flatus |
0 |
|
|
occasional discomfort of short duration |
1 |
|
|
frequent and prolonged episodes interfering with some social activities |
2 |
|
|
frequent episodes seriously interfering with social performance |
3 |
|
decreased passage of stools |
no or transient |
0 |
|
|
every third day |
1 |
|
|
every fifth day |
2 |
|
|
every seventh day or less frequently |
3 |
|
increased passage of stools |
once a day |
0 |
|
|
3 times a day |
1 |
|
|
5 times a day |
2 |
|
|
7 times a day or more frequently |
3 |
|
loose stools |
normal consistency |
0 |
|
|
somewhat loose |
1 |
|
|
runny |
2 |
|
|
watery |
3 |
|
hard stools |
normal consistency |
0 |
|
|
somewhat hard |
1 |
|
|
hard |
2 |
|
|
hard and fragmented, sometimes in combination with diarrhea |
3 |
|
urgent need for defecation |
normal control |
0 |
|
|
occasional feelings of urgent need for defecation |
1 |
|
|
frequent feelings of urgent need for defecation with sudden need for a toilet interfering with social performance |
2 |
|
|
inability to control defecation |
3 |
|
feeling of incomplete evacuation |
feeling of complete evacuation without straining |
0 |
|
|
defecation somewhat difficult; occasional feeling of incomplete evacuation |
1 |
|
|
defecation definitely difficult; often feelings of incomplete evacuation |
2 |
|
|
defecation extremely difficult; regular feelings of incomplete evacuation |
3 |
where:
• Decreased or increased passage of stools use time intervals with intervening gaps; I have made these continuous in the spreadsheets.
Interpretation:
• minimum score: 0
• maximum score: 39 (where decreased vs increased frequency and soft vs hard consistency appear to be either-or, reducing maximal answers valued 3 points to 13)
• The higher the score, the more severe the gastrointestinal symptoms.
Specialty: Gastroenterology
ICD-10: ,
