Acute Diverticulitis

Publication Date: December 1, 2015

Key Points

Key Points

  • Acute diverticulitis is defined as clinically evident macroscopic inflammation of a diverticulum or diverticula.
  • Acute diverticulitis occurs in <10% of patients with diverticulosis.
  • 10–20% of those patients will have complicated disease, defined as an abscess, perforation, fistula, or colonic obstruction.
  • 10–25% of patients who have a first attack of diverticulitis will have a subsequent recurrence.
  • Antibiotics are often prescribed for acute diverticulitis, but can often be avoided in mild cases.
  • A colonoscopy should generally be performed after resolution of acute diverticulitis if not recently done.
  • The AGA suggests a fiber-rich diet and physical activity after resolution of acute diverticulitis.

Management

Managem...

AGA Recommendations for the Management o...

...e AGA suggests that antibiotics should be u...

...ests that colonoscopy be performed after r...

...against elective colonic resection in patients w...

...a fiber-rich diet or fiber supplement...

...against routinely advising patients with a histor...

...uggests against routinely advising patients...

...suggests advising patients with a history of diver...

...ends against the use of mesalamine afte...

...GA suggests against the use of rifaximin af...

...s against the use of probiotics after acute unco...

...advising patients with diverticular...