COLON DIVERTICULITIS

Course overview

DIVERTICULITIS HAS INCREASED IN INCIDENCE OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES AND REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT HEALTHCARE BURDEN IN WESTERN COUNTRIES. IN THE UNITED STATES, ACUTE DIVERTICULITIS IS ASSOCIATED WITH NEARLY 200,000 HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS AND 2.2 BILLION DOLLARS IN HEALTHCARE COSTS PER YEAR. ALTHOUGH THE PREVALENCE OF THE DISEASE INCREASES WITH AGE, YOUNGER ADULTS MAY ALSO DEVELOP THE DIVERTICULAR DISEASE. THE MANAGEMENT OF COLONIC DIVERTICULITIS HAS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY IN RECENT YEARS. THE DECISION TO PERFORM ELECTIVE SIGMOID COLECTOMY IN PATIENTS THAT RECOVER FROM UNCOMPLICATED DIVERTICULITIS IS CONTROVERSIAL AND REQUIRES CASE-BY-CASE CONSIDERATION. SURGICAL TREATMENT IS THE RECOMMENDATION IN CASES OF COMPLICATED DIVERTICULITIS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EPIDEMIOLOGY, PRESENTATION, AND TREATMENT OF DIVERTICULITIS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM'S ROLE IN CARING FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS.