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Diverticulitis, Colonic

What Is Diverticulitis?

Author/s: 
Shreya Narayanan, Christopher D. Jackson, MD

Diverticulitis involves inflammation of outpouchings of the intestinal wall, a condition known as diverticulosis.

Risk factors for diverticulosis include being older than 65 years, obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 or more), high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, certain medications (such as opioids, steroids, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs]), connective tissue diseases (such as polycystic kidney disease, Marfan syndrome, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome), and specific genetic variants.1

By age 60 years, nearly 60% of people have diverticulosis, most often on the left side of the colon. About 1% to 4% of people with diverticulosis develop diverticulitis in their lifetime. Acute diverticulitis affects about 180 per 100 000 people in the US each year, resulting in approximately 200 000 hospitalizations annually.

Keywords 
Gastroenterology Diverticulitis Diverticulum

Diagnosis and Management of Acute Left-Sided Colonic Diverticulitis: A Clinical Guideline From the American College of Physicians

Author/s: 
Qaseem, A., Etxeandia-Ikobaltzeta, I., Lin, J. S., Fitterman, N., Shamliyan, T., Wilt, T. J., Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians

Description: The American College of Physicians (ACP) developed this guideline to provide clinical recommendations on the diagnosis and management of acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis in adults. This guideline is based on current best available evidence about benefits and harms, taken in the context of costs and patient values and preferences.

Methods: The ACP Clinical Guidelines Committee (CGC) developed this guideline based on a systematic review on the use of computed tomography (CT) for the diagnosis of acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis and on management via hospitalization, antibiotic use, and interventional percutaneous abscess drainage. The systematic review evaluated outcomes that the CGC rated as critical or important. This guideline was developed using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) methodology.

Target audience and patient population: The target audience is all clinicians, and the target patient population is adults with suspected or known acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis.

Keywords 
diagnosis Clinical Guideline American College of Physicians Acute Left-Sided Colonic Diverticulitis
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