Faecal calprotectin: implementing NICE recommendations in the light of current evidence

Faecal calprotectin has been the subject of NICE review in 2013, specifically being recommended for use in primary care to aid in the differentiation of inflammatory bowel disease from irritable bowel syndrome in adults with recent onset lower gastrointestinal symptoms. Its utility is specifically in situations where the differential is inflammatory bowel disease rather than cancer, and the recommendation for use in the primary care setting has been to reduce referrals to secondary care for consultation or endoscopy.

But what is the utility of faecal calprotectin in secondary care? This is the subject of two papers and an associated editorial in this edition of Frontline Gastroenterology. Dhaliwal et al1 present a prospective analysis of 311 patients …