[The Dutch College of General Practitioners' 'Irritable bowel syndrome' standard; reaction from the field of general practice].

In the recently published Dutch College of General Practitioners' standard entitled 'Irritable bowel syndrome', questions for use in establishing this difficult syndrome are provided. Being reserved during examination and using moderation in choosing a treatment regime are the most important recommendations. The emphasis should be on explaining that this is usually a harmless syndrome. This guideline is very helpful to the general practitioner.