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Management of acute uncomplicated diverticulitis without antibiotics: compliance and outcomes -a retrospective cohort study

Azhar, Najia LU orcid ; Aref, Hager ; Brorsson, Adam ; Lydrup, Marie-Louise LU ; Jörgren, Fredrik LU ; Schultz, Johannes Kurt and Buchwald, Pamela LU (2022) In BMC Emergency Medicine 22(1).
Abstract
Methods
Recent randomized control trials (RCTs) have confirmed that antibiotics in acute uncomplicated diverticulitis (AUD) neither accelerate recovery nor prevent complications or recurrences.

A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including all consecutive AUD patients hospitalized 2015- 2018 at Helsingborg Hospital (HH) and Skåne University Hospital (SUS), Sweden. HH had implemented a non-antibiotic treatment protocol in 2014 while SUS had not. Main outcomes were proportion of patients treated with antibiotics, complications, recurrences, and adherence to routinely colon evaluation.

Results
A total of 583 AUD patients were enrolled, 388 at SUS and 195 at HH. The diagnosis was CT-verified in 320 (83%) vs.... (More)
Methods
Recent randomized control trials (RCTs) have confirmed that antibiotics in acute uncomplicated diverticulitis (AUD) neither accelerate recovery nor prevent complications or recurrences.

A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including all consecutive AUD patients hospitalized 2015- 2018 at Helsingborg Hospital (HH) and Skåne University Hospital (SUS), Sweden. HH had implemented a non-antibiotic treatment protocol in 2014 while SUS had not. Main outcomes were proportion of patients treated with antibiotics, complications, recurrences, and adherence to routinely colon evaluation.

Results
A total of 583 AUD patients were enrolled, 388 at SUS and 195 at HH. The diagnosis was CT-verified in 320 (83%) vs. 186 (95%) patients respectively (p < 0.001). Forty-three (11%) and 94 (48%) of patients respectively did not receive antibiotics during hospitalization (p < 0.001). CRP was higher in the antibiotic group compared to the non-antibiotic group, both at admission and peak (90 mg/L vs 65 mg/L; p = 0.016) and (138 mg/L and 97 mg/L; p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in recurrences (22.0% vs. 22.6%; p = 0.87) and complications (2.5% vs. 2.9%; p = 0.77) between the antibiotic/non-antibiotic groups.

Conclusion
The structured treatment protocol led to reduced antibiotic use and a higher standard of care in terms of CT-verification. Clinicians’ compliance to the treatment protocol and best clinical practice was poor and warrants further studies. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
BMC Emergency Medicine
volume
22
issue
1
article number
28
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • pmid:35189812
  • scopus:85125154841
ISSN
1471-227X
DOI
10.1186/s12873-022-00584-x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4f04b2a6-3de7-4652-9d47-cfd016195f81
date added to LUP
2022-02-27 18:50:03
date last changed
2022-04-20 18:24:24
@article{4f04b2a6-3de7-4652-9d47-cfd016195f81,
  abstract     = {{Methods<br/>Recent randomized control trials (RCTs) have confirmed that antibiotics in acute uncomplicated diverticulitis (AUD) neither accelerate recovery nor prevent complications or recurrences.<br/><br/>A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including all consecutive AUD patients hospitalized 2015- 2018 at Helsingborg Hospital (HH) and Skåne University Hospital (SUS), Sweden. HH had implemented a non-antibiotic treatment protocol in 2014 while SUS had not. Main outcomes were proportion of patients treated with antibiotics, complications, recurrences, and adherence to routinely colon evaluation.<br/><br/>Results<br/>A total of 583 AUD patients were enrolled, 388 at SUS and 195 at HH. The diagnosis was CT-verified in 320 (83%) vs. 186 (95%) patients respectively (p &lt; 0.001). Forty-three (11%) and 94 (48%) of patients respectively did not receive antibiotics during hospitalization (p &lt; 0.001). CRP was higher in the antibiotic group compared to the non-antibiotic group, both at admission and peak (90 mg/L vs 65 mg/L; p = 0.016) and (138 mg/L and 97 mg/L; p &lt; 0.001). There were no significant differences in recurrences (22.0% vs. 22.6%; p = 0.87) and complications (2.5% vs. 2.9%; p = 0.77) between the antibiotic/non-antibiotic groups.<br/><br/>Conclusion<br/>The structured treatment protocol led to reduced antibiotic use and a higher standard of care in terms of CT-verification. Clinicians’ compliance to the treatment protocol and best clinical practice was poor and warrants further studies.}},
  author       = {{Azhar, Najia and Aref, Hager and Brorsson, Adam and Lydrup, Marie-Louise and Jörgren, Fredrik and Schultz, Johannes Kurt and Buchwald, Pamela}},
  issn         = {{1471-227X}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{BMC Emergency Medicine}},
  title        = {{Management of acute uncomplicated diverticulitis without antibiotics: compliance and outcomes -a retrospective cohort study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12873-022-00584-x}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s12873-022-00584-x}},
  volume       = {{22}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}