COLITIS

Course overview

COLITIS IS AN INCREASINGLY COMMON CONDITION IN WHICH THE MUCOSAL LINING OF THE COLON BECOMES ACUTELY OR CHRONICALLY INFLAMED. PATIENTS WITH COLITIS MAY PRESENT WITH SYMPTOMS SUCH AS WATERY DIARRHEA, ABDOMINAL PAIN, TENESMUS, URGENCY, FEVER, SUBJECTIVE FATIGUE, OR BLOOD IN THE STOOL. THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT CAUSES OF COLITIS, INCLUDING INFECTION, AUTOIMMUNITY, ISCHEMIA, TOXIN EXPOSURE, IMMUNODEFICIENCY, AND RADIATION EXPOSURE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF COLITIS, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS. THE MANAGEMENT OF COLITIS IS COMPLEX AND NEW APPROACHES HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED. TO ACHIEVE SATISFACTORY OUTCOMES, THE BASIC AND CLINICAL ASPECTS OF COLITIS MUST BE CLEARLY DEFINED. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS COLITIS, AND FOCUSSES ON THE ETIOLOGY, EPIDEMIOLOGY, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, EVALUATION, MANAGEMENT AND COMPLICATIONS OF COLITIS, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING HEALTHCARE OUTCOMES.