Irritable bowel syndrome
Meaning of irritable bowel syndrome: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, irritable bowel syndrome means recurrent abdominal pain occurring on average at least one day per week for at least three months, where the pain is associated with two or more of the following: (a) defaecation; (b) a change in the frequency of stool; or (c) a change in the form (appearance) of stool; with the symptom onset at least six months prior to the diagnosis. (3) While irritable bowel syndrome attracts ICD-10-AM code K58, in applying this Statement of Principles the meaning of irritable bowel syndrome is that given in subsection (2). (4) For subsection (3), a reference to an ICD-10-AM code is a reference to the code assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM), Tenth Edition, effective date of 1 July 2017, copyrighted by the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority, ISBN 978-1-76007-296-4.
Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 65 of 2019
At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting irritable bowel syndrome or death from irritable bowel syndrome with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)being a prisoner of war before the clinical onset of irritable bowel syndrome;
- (2)having a clinically significant disorder of mental health as specified within the six months before the clinical onset of irritable bowel syndrome;
Note: clinically significant disorder of mental health as specified is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (3)having an episode of severe diarrhoea within the six months before the clinical onset of irritable bowel syndrome;
Note: episode of severe diarrhoea is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (4)living or working in a hostile or life-threatening environment for a cumulative period of at least four weeks within the six months before the clinical onset of irritable bowel syndrome;
Note: hostile or life-threatening environment is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (5)experiencing a category 1A stressor within the six months before the clinical onset of irritable bowel syndrome;
Note: category 1A stressor is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (6)experiencing a category 1B stressor within the six months before the clinical onset of irritable bowel syndrome;
Note: category 1B stressor is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (7)experiencing a category 2 stressor within the one year before the clinical onset of irritable bowel syndrome;
Note: A category 2 stressor can arise in a variety of circumstances connected with service. Such circumstances can arise during the course of service, as a result of separation from service and the conditions associated with that separation, and in the transition to civilian life in the years following separation.
Note: category 2 stressor is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (8)experiencing severe childhood abuse before the clinical onset of irritable bowel syndrome;
Note: severe childhood abuse is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (9)having a clinically significant disorder of mental health as specified within the six months before the clinical worsening of irritable bowel syndrome;
Note: clinically significant disorder of mental health as specified is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (10)having an episode of severe diarrhoea within the six months before the clinical worsening of irritable bowel syndrome;
Note: episode of severe diarrhoea is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (11)living or working in a hostile or life-threatening environment for a cumulative period of at least four weeks within the six months before the clinical worsening of irritable bowel syndrome;
Note: hostile or life-threatening environment is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (12)experiencing a category 1A stressor within the six months before the clinical worsening of irritable bowel syndrome;
Note: category 1A stressor is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (13)experiencing a category 1B stressor within the six months before the clinical worsening of irritable bowel syndrome;
Note: category 1B stressor is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (14)experiencing a category 2 stressor within the one year before the clinical worsening of irritable bowel syndrome;
Note: category 2 stressor is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (15)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for irritable bowel syndrome;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsections 9(9) to 9(15) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.
Balance of Probabilities (BoP) — Statement of Principles No. 66 of 2019
6 factors
At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, irritable bowel syndrome or death from irritable bowel syndrome is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)having a clinically significant disorder of mental health as specified within the six months before the clinical onset of irritable bowel syndrome;
Note: clinically significant disorder of mental health as specified is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (2)having an episode of severe diarrhoea within the three months before the clinical onset of irritable bowel syndrome;
Note: episode of severe diarrhoea is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (3)experiencing severe childhood abuse before the clinical onset of irritable bowel syndrome;
Note: severe childhood abuse is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (4)having a clinically significant disorder of mental health as specified within the six months before the clinical worsening of irritable bowel syndrome;
Note: clinically significant disorder of mental health as specified is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (5)having an episode of severe diarrhoea within the three months before the clinical worsening of irritable bowel syndrome;
Note: episode of severe diarrhoea is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (6)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for irritable bowel syndrome;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsections 9(4) to 9(6) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.
