Emergency admissions for complicated colonic diverticulitis are increasing: a nationwide register-based cohort study

Classification of Diverticular Disease (CDD) - assessment of the intra- and interobserver agreement in abdominal CT scans

PURPOSE

 Along with ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) is one of the imaging modalities of choice in patients with suspected diverticular disease (DD). Recently, a newer Classification of Diverticular Disease (CDD) has been proposed. However, its reliability in daily radiological practice has never been proven. Therefore, our aim was to evaluate the intra- and interobserver agreement of the CDD in abdominal CT scans.

METHODS

 In this retrospective study, 481 CT scans of patients with suspected DD were included. Two readers (one board-certified radiologist with 6 years of experience, one 3 rd year radiology resident) individually evaluated all CTs in two reading sessions using the CDD. A composite endpoint of a prior consensus reading, follow-up, and intraoperative findings served as the reference. Intra- and interobserver agreement were calculated using Cohen-k statistic.

RESULTS

 DD was present in 317 cases (66 %), mostly classified as CDD stage 0, 1b, and 2a (28 %, 30 %, und 14 %). Intraobserver agreement was almost perfect for both readers (kappa 0.93 and 0.88). Interobserver agreement was high and improved from substantial (kappa 0.77) in the first reading session to almost perfect (kappa 0.84) in the second reading session. The interobserver agreement was best for CDD types 0 (diverticulosis) and 2c (free perforated diverticulitis) (mean kappa 0.83 and 0.86) and poorest for CDD types 1a (diverticulitis without phlegmon) and 2b (covered diverticulitis with macroabscess) (mean kappa 0.17 and 0.38). Intra- and interobserver agreement of acute uncomplicated (CDD type 1) and acute complicated diverticulitis (CDD type 2) were substantial to almost perfect (mean kappa 0.63-0.86). Agreement with the reference was almost perfect for both observers (mean kappa 0.86 and 0.82). Administration of rectal contrast did not significantly improve the diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

 The CDD is a classification based on relatively clear imaging characteristics, which can be readily applied by radiologists with different expertise. In our study, the CDD had a high intra- and interobserver agreement, enabling a reliable therapy-related categorization of DD.

KEY POINTS

  · The Classification of Diverticular Disease (CDD) is an easy-to-use classification for diverticular disease based on relatively clear image features.. · The CDD can be applied equally by radiologists with different levels of experience in the clinical routine.. · The high intra- and interobserver agreement indicates high reliability in the therapy-relevant classification of diverticulitis on CT..

CITATION FORMAT

· Schmidbauer M, Levers A, Wacker FK et al. Classification of Diverticular Disease (CDD) - assessment of the intra- and interobserver agreement in abdominal CT scans. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2024; 196: 591 - 599.

Risk factors for emergency surgery for diverticulitis: A retrospective multicentric French study at 41 hospitals

BACKGROUND

The observed increase in the incidence of complicated diverticulitis may lead to the performance of more emergency surgeries. This study aimed to assess the rate and risk factors of emergency surgery for sigmoid diverticulitis.

METHOD

The primary outcomes were the rate of emergency surgery for sigmoid diverticulitis and its associated risk factors. The urgent or elective nature of the surgical intervention was provided by the surgeon and in accordance with the indication for surgical treatment. A mixed logistic regression with a random intercept after multiple imputations by the chained equation was performed to consider the influence of missing data on the results.

RESULTS

Between 2010 and 2021, 6,867 patients underwent surgery for sigmoid diverticulitis in the participating centers, of which one-third (n = 2317) were emergency cases. In multivariate regression analysis with multiple imputation by chained equation, increasing age, body mass index <18.5 kg/m2, neurologic and pulmonary comorbidities, use of anticoagulant drugs, immunocompromised status, and first attack of sigmoid diverticulitis were independent risk factors for emergency surgery. The likelihood of emergency surgery was significantly more frequent after national guidelines, which were implemented in 2017, only in patients with a history of sigmoid diverticulitis attacks.

CONCLUSION

The present study highlights a high rate (33%) of emergency surgery for sigmoid diverticulitis in France, which was significantly associated with patient features and the first attack of diverticulitis.

Free perforation during the first episode of acute diverticulitis: can it be avoided?

The aims of the present study are to compare the severity of acute diverticulitis in the first episode and in later bouts, and to determine whether there are risk factors for the presence of free perforation at the onset of diverticulitis. A single-center retrospective study was conducted of patients who developed a first episode of acute diverticulitis between January 2011 and August 2021 diagnosed by computed tomography and followed up for at least 1 year. Free perforation was considered to be present in patients with diverticulitis stage III and IV according to the Hinchey classification (modified by Wasvary). The analysis included 394 patients (224 men and 170 women) with a mean age of 58 years. Forty-eight patients (12.2%) presented free perforation at some point in the course of the disease, 43 during the first episode and 5 during subsequent bouts. The perforation subgroup showed higher rates of stoma creation and mortality (relative risks of 12.3 and 23.5, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, age (OR: 1.041 95% CI 1.016-1.067), lung disease (OR 2.154 95% CI 1.038-4.472) and immunosuppression (OR: 2.812 95% CI 1.315-6.015) were independent factors for free perforation at diverticulitis onset. Free perforation occurs more frequently during the first episode of acute diverticulitis. Older patients, immunosuppressed patients and those with respiratory disease have a greater risk of presenting freely perforated diverticulitis. Therefore, it is essential to maintain a high level of clinical suspicion in these patients to activate early focus control and thus avoid fatal outcomes.

Emergency Colectomies in the Elderly Population—Perioperative Mortality Risk-Factors and Long-Term Outcomes

Background: As the population ages emergency surgeries among the elderly population, including colonic resections, is also increasing. Data regarding the short- and long-term outcomes in this population is scarce. Methods: A retrospective study was performed to investigate mortality and mortality risk factors associated with emergent colectomies in older compared to younger patients in a single university affiliated tertiary hospital. Patients with metastatic disease, colectomy due to trauma or index colectomy within 30 days prior to emergent surgery were excluded. Results: Operative outcomes compared among age groups, included 30-day mortality, mortality risk-factors and long-term survival. 613 eligible patients were included in the cohort. Mean age was 69.4 years, 45.1% were female. Patients were divided into four age groups: 18–59, 60–69, 70–79 and ≥80-years. Thirty-day mortality rates were 3.2%, 11%, 29.3% and 37.8%, respectively and 22% for the entire cohort. Risk-factors for perioperative death in the younger group were related to severity of ASA score and WBC count. In groups 60–69, 70–79, main risk-factors were ADL dependency and ASA score. In the ≥80 group, risk-factors affecting perioperative mortality, included ASA score, pre-operative albumin, creatinine, WBC levels, cancer etiology, ADL dependency, and dementia. Long-term survival differed significantly between age groups. Conclusion: Perioperative mortality with emergency colectomy increases with patients’ age. Patients older than eighty-years undergoing urgent colectomies have extremely high mortality rates, leading to a huge burden on medical services. Evaluating risk-factors for mortality and pre-operative discussion with patients and families is important. Screening the elderly population for colonic pathologies can result in early diagnosis potentially leading to elective surgeries with decreased mortality.

Ulcerative Colitis After Complicated Diverticulitis

It has been recently shown that inflammatory bowel disease may follow an episode of acute complicated diverticulitis. We report 3 cases of ulcerative colitis after acute complicated diverticulitis that required surgery. All cases occurred in elderly patients with moderate-to-severe disease and 1 individual who also received treatment with biologics. These cases highlight the need for older patients to be strictly monitored after an episode of perforated diverticulitis requiring surgery because of the risk of developing ulcerative colitis.

Seasonal variations in acute diverticular disease hospitalisations in New Zealand

PURPOSE

Seasonal variation of acute diverticular disease is variably reported in observational studies. This study aimed to describe seasonal variation of acute diverticular disease hospital admissions in New Zealand.

METHODS

A time series analysis of national diverticular disease hospitalisations from 2000 to 2015 was conducted among adults aged 30 years or over. Monthly counts of acute hospitalisations' primary diagnosis of diverticular disease were decomposed using Census X-11 times series methods. A combined test for the presence of identifiable seasonality was used to determine if overall seasonality was present; thereafter, annual seasonal amplitude was calculated. The mean seasonal amplitude of demographic groups was compared by analysis of variance.

RESULTS

Over the 16-year period, 35,582 hospital admissions with acute diverticular disease were included. Seasonality in monthly acute diverticular disease admissions was identified. The mean monthly seasonal component of acute diverticular disease admissions peaked in early-autumn (March) and troughed in early-spring (September). The mean annual seasonal amplitude was 23%, suggesting on average 23% higher acute diverticular disease hospitalisations during early-autumn (March) than in early-spring (September). The results were similar in sensitivity analyses that employed different definitions of diverticular disease. Seasonal variation was less pronounced in patients aged over 80 (p = 0.002). Seasonal variation was significantly greater among Māori than Europeans (p < 0.001) and in more southern regions (p < 0.001). However, seasonal variations were not significantly different by gender.

CONCLUSIONS

Acute diverticular disease admissions in New Zealand exhibit seasonal variation with a peak in Autumn (March) and a trough in Spring (September). Significant seasonal variations are associated with ethnicity, age, and region, but not with gender.

Surgeon-Performed Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Acute Sigmoid Diverticulitis: A Pragmatic Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study

Background and purpose Early diagnosis and risk stratification of sigmoid diverticulitis rely heavily on timely imaging. Computerized tomography (CT), the gold standard diagnostic test, may be delayed due to resource constraints or patient comorbidity. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has an established role in trauma evaluation, and could potentially diagnose and stage acute diverticulitis, thus shortening the time to definitive treatment.  Aims This study aimed to benchmark the accuracy of surgeon-performed POCUS against CT in diagnosing and staging acute diverticulitis. A secondary aim was to evaluate the duration between the POCUS and the confirmatory CT scan report. Patients and methods A pragmatic prospective multicenter cohort study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02682368) was conducted. Surgeons performed point-of-care ultrasound as first-line imaging for suspected acute diverticulitis. POCUS diagnosis and radiologic Hinchey classification were compared to CT as the reference standard. Results Of 45 patients with suspected acute diverticulitis, POCUS classified 37 (82.2%) as uncomplicated diverticulitis, four (8.8%) as complicated diverticulitis, and four (8.8%) as other diagnoses. The POCUS-estimated modified radiologic Hinchey classification was largely concordant with CT staging with an accuracy of 88.8% (95% CI, 75.95-96.2%), a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI, 90.2- 100%) and a specificity of 44.4% (95% CI, 13.7-78.8%). The positive predictive value (PPV) was 87.8% and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 100%. There was moderate agreement between CT and POCUS, with a Cohen's kappa coefficient of 0.56. The mean delay between CT and POCUS was 9.14 hours (range 0.33 to 43.5). Conclusion We examined the role of POCUS in the management of acute diverticulitis and our findings suggest that it is a promising imaging modality with the potential to reduce radiation exposure and treatment delays. Adding a POCUS training module to the surgical curriculum could enhance diagnosis and expedite the management of acute diverticulitis.

Association of hospital volume with conversion to open from minimally invasive colectomy in patients with diverticulitis: A national analysis

BACKGROUND

Despite the known advantages of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for diverticular disease, the impact of conversions to open (CtO) colectomy remains understudied. The present study used a nationally representative database to characterize risk factors and outcomes associated with CtO in patients with diverticular disease.

METHODS

All elective adult hospitalizations entailing colectomy for diverticulitis were identified in the 2017-2019 Nationwide Readmissions Database. Annual institutional caseloads of MIS and open colectomy were independently tabulated. Restricted cubic splines were utilized to non-linearly estimate the risk-adjusted association between hospital volumes and CtO. Additional regression models were developed to evaluate the association of CtO with outcomes of interest.

RESULTS

Of an estimated 110,281 patients with diverticulitis who met study criteria, 39.3% underwent planned open colectomy, 53.3% completed MIS, and 7.4% had a CtO. Following adjustment, an inverse relationship between hospital MIS volume and risk of CtO was observed. In contrast, increasing hospital open volume was positively associated with greater risk of CtO. On multivariable analysis, CtO was associated with lower odds of mortality (AOR 0.3, p = 0.001) when compared to open approach, and similar risk of mortality when compared to completed MIS (AOR 0.7, p = 0.436).

CONCLUSION

In the present study, institutional MIS volume exhibited inverse correlation with adjusted rates of CtO, independent of open colectomy volume. CtO was associated with decreased rates of mortality compared to planned open approach but equivalence risk relative to completed MIS. Our findings highlight the importance of MIS experience and suggest that MIS may be safely pursued as the initial surgical approach among diverticulitis patients.

Delay to Intervention for Complicated Diverticulitis is Associated with Higher Inpatient Mortality

BACKGROUND

Patients with diverticular disease complicated by abscess and/or perforation represent the most severely afflicted with the highest mortality and poorest outcomes. This study investigated patient and operative factors associated with poor outcomes from diverticulitis complicated by abscess or perforation.

METHODS

We analyzed the National Inpatient Sample to identify inpatient discharges for colonic diverticulitis in the United States from 1/1988 to 9/2015. We identified patients with perforation and/or intestinal abscess based on ICD-9 codes. The primary outcome was inpatient mortality.

RESULTS

During the study period, a total of 993,220 patients were discharged with diverticulitis from sampled U.S. hospitals. From this group, 10.7% had an abscess and 1.0% had a perforation associated with diverticular disease. Inpatient mortality of diverticulitis patients with a perforation was 5.4% compared to 1.5% in those without a perforation (p<0.001). Patients with a perforation who underwent surgery had an inpatient mortality of 6.3% vs. 3.0% mortality amongst patients with a perforation who did not undergo an operation (p<0.001). Patients with a perforation that underwent surgery had a 31% increased mortality risk for each day after admission that a procedure was delayed (OR 1.31, CI 1.05-1.78; p=0.03). Mortality risk was increased for patients with either abscess or perforation who underwent surgery if they were female, age ≥65, higher comorbidity, were admitted urgently, underwent peritoneal lavage, or had a post-procedural complication.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with perforated diverticular disease had substantial associated inpatient mortality compared to those with uncomplicated diverticulitis. This increased risk may be associated with performance of peritoneal lavage or because of a delay to procedural intervention.

The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland consensus guidelines in emergency colorectal surgery

AIM

There is a requirement for an expansive and up to date review of the management of emergency colorectal conditions seen in adults. The primary objective is to provide detailed evidence-based guidelines for the target audience of general and colorectal surgeons who are responsible for an adult population and who practise in Great Britain and Ireland.

METHODS

Surgeons who are elected members of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland Emergency Surgery Subcommittee were invited to contribute various sections to the guidelines. They were directed to produce a pathology-based document using literature searches that were systematic, comprehensible, transparent and reproducible. Levels of evidence were graded. Each author was asked to provide a set of recommendations which were evidence-based and unambiguous. These recommendations were submitted to the whole guideline group and scored. They were then refined and submitted to a second vote. Only those that achieved >80% consensus at level 5 (strongly agree) or level 4 (agree) after two votes were included in the guidelines.

RESULTS

All aspects of care (excluding abdominal trauma) for emergency colorectal conditions have been included along with 122 recommendations for management.

CONCLUSION

These guidelines provide an up to date and evidence-based summary of the current surgical knowledge in the management of emergency colorectal conditions and should serve as practical text for clinicians managing colorectal conditions in the emergency setting.

Development and Validation of Predictive Assessment of Complicated Diverticulitis Score

The prevalence of acute diverticulitis (AD) has progressively increased in recent decades, with correspondingly greater morbidity and mortality. The aim of the study is to develop a predictive score to identify patients with the highest risk of complicated AD. The clinical records of 1089 patients referred to the emergency department (ED) over a five-year period were reviewed. In multivariate analysis, male sex (p < 0.001), constipation (p = 0.002), hemoglobin < 11.9 g/dL (p < 0.001), C reactive protein > 80 mg/L (p < 0.001), severe obesity (p = 0.049), and no proton pump inhibitor treatment (p = 0.003) were independently associated with complicated AD. The predictive assessment of complicated (PACO)-diverticulitis (D) score, including these six variables, was applied to the retrospective cohort and then validated prospectively in a cohort including 282 patients. It categorized patients into three risk classes for complicated AD. The PACO-D score showed fair discrimination for complicated AD with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.674 and 0.648, in the retrospective and prospective cohorts, respectively. The PACO-D score could be a practical clinical tool to identify patients at highest risk for complicated AD referred to the ED so that appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic resources could be appropriately allocated. Further external validation is needed to confirm these results.

Treating acute colonic diverticulitis with extraluminal pericolic air: An Acute Care Surgery in the Netherlands (ACCSENT) multicenter retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Owing to improved quality of computed tomography, a new category of complicated acute diverticulitis, including patients with pericolic air but without abscess formation, can be defined (Hinchey 1a). Recent studies question whether this new category of acute diverticulitis could be treated as uncomplicated cases. The aim of our study is to report on the clinical course of acute diverticulitis Hinchey 1a in current clinical practice.

METHODS

For this multicenter retrospective cohort study, patients presenting at the emergency department with Hinchey 1a acute diverticulitis as demonstrated by computed tomography scan, were identified. The primary outcome measure was successful conservative treatment with observation alone, antibiotics, and/or hospital admission. Readmissions, percutaneous drainage of abscesses, and emergency operations were considered as failure.

RESULTS

Between October 2016 and October 2018, 1,199 patients were clinically suspected for acute diverticulitis, of whom 101 (8.4%) were radiologically diagnosed to have type 1a acute diverticulitis (average age 57 (±13) years, 45% female) and started with conservative treatment. This was successful in 86 (85%) patients. One of the 15 unsuccessfully treated patients (1%) received percutaneous drainage of an abdominal abscess. Surgery was required in 9 cases (9%) after a median time of 6 days (range, 3 to 69 days). Although a difference in the volume of extraluminal air on computed tomography scan was found, this was not shown to be a risk factor for the clinical course.

CONCLUSION

Patients with type 1a acute diverticulitis can be treated successfully by conservative therapy in the majority of cases (85%). More research is required to define predictive factors for successful conservative management.

Management of perforated diverticulitis with generalized peritonitis. A multidisciplinary review and position paper

Perforated diverticulitis is an emergent clinical condition and its management is challenging and still debated. The aim of this position paper was to critically review the available evidence on the management of perforated diverticulitis and generalized peritonitis in order to provide evidence-based suggestions for a management strategy. Four Italian scientific societies (SICCR, SICUT, SIRM, AIGO), selected experts who identified 5 clinically relevant topics in the management of perforated diverticulitis with generalized peritonitis that would benefit from a multidisciplinary review. The following 5 issues were tackled: 1) Criteria to decide between conservative and surgical treatment in case of perforated diverticulitis with peritonitis; 2) Criteria or scoring system to choose the most appropriate surgical option when diffuse peritonitis is confirmed 3); The appropriate surgical procedure in hemodynamically stable or stabilized patients with diffuse peritonitis; 4) The appropriate surgical procedure for patients with generalized peritonitis and septic shock and 5) Optimal medical therapy in patients with generalized peritonitis from diverticular perforation before and after surgery. In perforated diverticulitis surgery is indicated in case of diffuse peritonitis or failure of conservative management and the decision to operate is not based on the presence of extraluminal air. If diffuse peritonitis is confirmed the choice of surgical technique is based on intraoperative findings and the presence or risk of severe septic shock. Further prognostic factors to consider are physiological derangement, age, comorbidities, and immune status. In hemodynamically stable patients, emergency laparoscopy has benefits over open surgery. Options include resection and anastomosis, Hartmann’s procedure or laparoscopic lavage. In generalized peritonitis with septic shock, an open surgical approach is preferred. Non-restorative resection and/or damage control surgery appear to be the only viable options, depending on the severity of hemodynamic instability. Multidisciplinary medical management should be applied with the main aims of controlling infection, relieving postoperative pain and preventing and/or treating postoperative ileus. In conclusion, the complexity and diversity of patients with diverticular perforation and diffuse peritonitis requires a personalized strategy, involving a thorough classification of physiological derangement, staging of intra-abdominal infection and choice of the most appropriate surgical procedure.

Treatment with Ceftriaxone in Complicated Diverticulitis Increases the Incidence of Intra-Abdominal Enterococcus faecium Detection

Background: Complicated diverticulitis of the sigmoid colon typically is treated by resection after initial antibiotic treatment. Third-generation cephalosporins are the drugs of choice but are not effective against enterococci and can induce colonic colonization by Enterococcus faecium within hours. Infections caused by enterococci, especially E. faecium, are difficult to treat but should be considered in the strategic treatment planning of hospital-acquired peritonitis (e.g., anastomotic leakage), especially in immunocompromised patients. Methods: To determine whether the duration of pre-operative ceftriaxone treatment in complicated diverticulitis increases the incidence of intra-abdominal E. faecium detection, we analyzed all patients operated on for diverticulitis of the sigmoid colon in our department between 2008 and 2016. Results: Analyzing 516 resections performed for complicated diverticulitis, we found that E. faecium generally was detected intra-abdominally more often in the group that underwent longer pre-operative ceftriaxone treatment (≥ 4 days). During primary resection, E. faecium was detected in 2.7%, 11.1%, and 37.0% cases in the group undergoing immediate operation, 1-3 days of antibiotic treatment, and ≥4 days of antibiotic treatment, respectively. Enterococcus faecium was detected in 0, 25.0%, and 70.6% of surgical revisions and 28.6%, 14.3%, and 56.0%, respectively, of incisional surgical site infections with identified pathogens. A multivariable analysis discovered anastomotic leakage and antibiotic treatment lasting ≥4 days to be independent risk factors for intra-abdominal isolation of E. faecium. Conclusion: A ceftriaxone treatment ≥4 days led to a higher incidence of intra-abdominal E. faecium. Our data further suggested that empiric coverage of E. faecium in the treatment of hospital-acquired peritonitis could be beneficial after a long duration of ceftriaxone treatment.

Incidence and recurrence rate of sigmoid diverticulitis in patients requiring admission to hospital in Iceland from 1985 to 2014: nationwide population-based register study

BACKGROUND

Diverticulitis is the most common complication of diverticular disease, affecting 10-25 per cent of patients with diverticula. A retrospective, nationwide, population-based cohort study was performed to analyse the incidence and recurrence rate of sigmoid diverticulitis requiring hospital admission.

METHODS

All patients discharged from hospital in Iceland during 1985-2014 who were diagnosed with diverticular disease were included. The χ2 test was used to analyse the trend of the incidence in the period 2002-2014. The Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox model were used to analyse recurrence.

RESULTS

Of 8660 admissions for diverticular disease, 4746 were due to diverticulitis, of which 2939 were for diverticulitis diagnosed for the first time. After the first attack, surgery was used to treat 661 patients. Of 2278 patients not treated by resection, 537 had a second attack (23·6 per cent). There was a significant decrease in the incidence of diverticulitis in patients aged 40-89 years during the period from 2002 to 2014 (P = 0·033). The risk of recurrence was associated with younger age at first attack and female sex (P < 0·001).

CONCLUSION

There was a decline in the incidence of patients hospitalized with diverticulitis between 1995 and 2014, most prominent in older age groups. Different recurrence rates were reported in men and women, and in younger compared with older age groups.

Are There Variations in Mortality From Diverticular Disease By Sex?

BACKGROUND

Previous data reveal that females account for a disproportionate majority of all patients diagnosed with diverticulitis.

OBJECTIVE

This study analyzed the variation in mortality from diverticular disease by sex.

DESIGN

This was a nationwide retrospective cohort study.

SETTINGS

Data were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research national registry.

PATIENTS

All citizens of the United States who died from an underlying cause of death of diverticulitis between January 1999 and December 2016 were included.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome addressed was overall mortality rate of diverticulitis by sex. Secondary outcomes included pattern variances in demographics and secondary causes of death.

RESULTS

During the study period, 55,096 patients (0.12%) died with an underlying cause of death of diverticulitis from a total of 44,915,066 deaths. Compared with other causes, females were disproportionally more likely to die from diverticulitis than males (0.17% females vs 0.08% males; p < 0.001). Age-adjusted incidence of death was higher for females compared with males. Female patients were less likely to die within the hospital compared with males (OR = 0.72 (95% CI, 0.69-0.75); p < 0.001). Conversely, female patients were more likely to die either at nursing homes or hospice facilities (OR = 1.64 (95% CI, 1.55-1.73); p < 0.001). In addition, females with an underlying cause of death of diverticulitis were less likely to have a surgical complication as their secondary cause of death (OR = 0.72 (95% CI, 0.66-0.78); p < 0.001) but more likely to have nonsurgical complications related to diverticulitis such as sepsis (OR = 1.04 (95% CI, 1.01-1.05); p < 0.03), nonsurgical GI disorders such as obstruction (OR = 1.16 (95% CI, 1.09-1.24); p < 0.001), or chronic pelvic fistulizing disease (OR = 1.43 (95% CI, 1.23-1.66); p < 0.001).

LIMITATIONS

The study was limited by a lack of more specific clinical data.

CONCLUSIONS

Females have a higher incidence of diverticular disease mortality. Their deaths are more commonly secondary to nonsurgical infections, obstruction, or pelvic fistulae. Female patients represent a particularly vulnerable population that may benefit from more intensive diverticulitis evaluation. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B257. ¿EXISTEN VARIACIONES EN LA MORTALIDAD POR ENFERMEDAD DIVERTICULAR POR GÉNERO?: Los datos anteriores revelan que las mujeres representan una mayoría desproporcionada de todos los pacientes diagnosticados con diverticulitis.Este estudio analizó la variación en la mortalidad por enfermedad diverticular por género.Estudio de cohorte retrospectivo a nivel nacional.Los datos se obtuvieron del registro nacional WONDER del Centro de Control de Enfermedades.Se incluyeron todos los ciudadanos de los Estados Unidos que murieron por una causa subyacente de muerte (UCOD por sus siglas en inglés) de diverticulitis del 1 / 1999-12 / 2016.El resultado primario abordado fue la tasa de mortalidad general de la diverticulitis por género. Los resultados secundarios incluyeron variaciones de patrones en la demografía y causas secundarias de muerte.Falta de datos clínicos más específicos.Durante el período de estudio, 55.096 pacientes (0,12%) murieron con un UCOD de diverticulitis de un total de 44.915.066 muertes. En comparación con otras causas, las mujeres tenían una probabilidad desproporcionadamente mayor de morir de diverticulitis que los hombres (0.17% F vs. 0.08% M, p <0.001). La incidencia de muerte ajustada por edad fue mayor para las mujeres que para los hombres. Las pacientes femeninas tenían menos probabilidades de morir en el hospital en comparación con los hombres (OR 0.72, IC 0.69-0.75, p <0.001). Por el contrario, las pacientes femeninas tenían más probabilidades de morir en asilos de ancianos o en centros de cuidados paliativos (OR 1.64, IC 1.55-1.73, p <0.001). Además, las mujeres con una UCOD de diverticulitis tenían menos probabilidades de tener una complicación quirúrgica como causa secundaria de muerte (OR 0.72, CI 0.66-0.78, p <0.001) pero más probabilidades de tener complicaciones no quirúrgicas relacionadas con la diverticulitis, como sepsis (OR 1.04, CI 1.01-1.05, p <0.03), trastornos gastrointestinales no quirúrgicos como obstrucción (OR 1.16, CI 1.09-1.24, p <0.001), o enfermedad fistulizante pélvica crónica (OR 1.43, CI 1.23-1.66, p <0,001).Las mujeres tienen una mayor incidencia de mortalidad por enfermedad diverticular. Sus muertes son más comúnmente secundarias a infecciones no quirúrgicas, obstrucción o fístulas pélvicas. Las pacientes femeninas representan una población particularmente vulnerable que puede beneficiarse de una evaluación más intensiva de diverticulitis. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B257.

European Society of Coloproctology: guidelines for the management of diverticular disease of the colon

AIM

The goal of this European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP) guideline project is to give an overview of the existing evidence on the management of diverticular disease, primarily as a guidance to surgeons.

METHODS

The guideline was developed during several working phases including three voting rounds and one consensus meeting. The two project leads (JKS and EA) appointed by the ESCP guideline committee together with one member of the guideline committee (WB) agreed on the methodology, decided on six themes for working groups (WGs) and drafted a list of research questions. Senior WG members, mostly colorectal surgeons within the ESCP, were invited based on publication records and geographical aspects. Other specialties were included in the WGs where relevant. In addition, one trainee or PhD fellow was invited in each WG. All six WGs revised the research questions if necessary, did a literature search, created evidence tables where feasible, and drafted supporting text to each research question and statement. The text and statement proposals from each WG were arranged as one document by the first and last authors before online voting by all authors in two rounds. For the second voting ESCP national representatives were also invited. More than 90% agreement was considered a consensus. The final phrasing of the statements with < 90% agreement was discussed in a consensus meeting at the ESCP annual meeting in Vienna in September 2019. Thereafter, the first and the last author drafted the final text of the guideline and circulated it for final approval and for a third and final online voting of rephrased statements.

RESULTS

This guideline contains 38 evidence based consensus statements on the management of diverticular disease.

CONCLUSION

This international, multidisciplinary guideline provides an up to date summary of the current knowledge of the management of diverticular disease as a guidance for clinicians and patients.

Acute diverticulitis: an ongoing economic burden on the health system

BACKGROUND

Acute diverticulitis (AD) is an increasingly common cause of acute hospital admissions. An understanding of its economic burden is necessary to plan resource allocation, and for targeting health research funding. The aim of this study is to obtain an accurate estimate of the cost of AD, accounting not only for the initial episode, but all related costs incurred during long-term follow-up.

METHODS

The study captures a cohort of patients who had an initial admission for AD from 1 January 2012-31 December 2012, and their treatment over a 6-year period. Cases were identified from a prospectively maintained database, with AD confirmed by computed tomography scan. The primary outcome was total healthcare cost related to AD.

RESULTS

The study included 170 patients. The total cost was NZD1 956 859 with a median cost per patient of NZD4814. A total of 57% of the cost was incurred for the initial inpatient admission, with the remaining 43% incurred through re-admission, follow-up appointments, investigations and management. Half of the total cost was incurred by 11.8% of the cohort. In multivariate analysis, high cost of care was significantly associated with complicated and recurrent disease, operative intervention and length of stay.

CONCLUSION

This study provides an accurate estimate of the overall cost of AD and its sequelae. There are considerable long-term costs associated with the index episode and a large proportion of the expenditure is incurred by a small group that included those with complicated disease. These findings are important for healthcare resource allocation and for targeting health research funding.

Hospital admission for complicated diverticulitis is increasing in Italy, especially in younger patients: a national database study

BACKGROUND

Epidemiological studies show an increasing trend of hospitalization for acute diverticulitis (AD), but data regarding the trend in hospitalization for complicated AD in Italy are scarce. The aim of this study was to analyze the Italian trend in hospitalization for complicated AD, from 2008 to 2015.

METHODS

Using the Italian Hospital Information System, we identified all patients with complicated colonic AD as a discharge diagnosis. Age- and sex-specific rates for AD as well as type of hospital admission (emergency/elective), type of complication (peritonitis, obstruction, bleeding, abscess, fistula, perforation, sepsis) and type of treatment (medical/surgical), were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 41,622 patients with a discharge diagnosis of complicated AD were identified. Over the study period the admission rate grew from 8.8 to 11.8 per 100,000 inhabitants. The hospitalization rate was highest for patients ≥ 70 years, but the increase in the admission rate was higher among patients aged ≤ 60 years. There were more males in the group < 60 years and more females in the group ≥ 60 years old. The rate of emergency admissions associated with surgery showed a significant mean annual increase (+ 3.9% per year) in the rate of emergency admissions associated with surgery, whereas elective admissions for surgery remained stable. Peritonitis was the most frequent complication (35.5%). The rate of surgery increased in AD complicated by peritonitis (+ 5.1% per year), abscess (+ 5.8% per year) and decreased for obstruction (- 1.8% per year).

CONCLUSIONS

From 2008 to 2015, we documented an increasing rate of hospitalization for complicated AD, especially for younger patients, with an increase in surgery for peritonitis and abscess. Further studies are needed to clearly assess the risk factors for complications and risk of surgery.

The Trends of Complicated Acute Colonic Diverticulitis-A Systematic Review of the National Administrative Databases

Background and Objectives: The diverticular disease includes a broad spectrum of different "clinical situations" from diverticulosis to acute diverticulitis (AD), with a full spectrum of severity ranging from self-limiting infection to abscess or fistula formation to free perforation. The present work aimed to assess the burden of complicated diverticulitis through a comparative analysis of the hospitalizations based on the national administrative databases. Materials and Methods: A review of the international and national administrative databases concerning admissions for complicated AD was performed. Results: Ten studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. No definition of acute complicated diverticulitis was reported in any study. Complicated AD accounted for approximately 42% and 79% of the hospitalizations. The reported rates of abscess varied between 1% and 10% from all admissions for AD and 5-29% of the cases with complicated AD. An increasing temporal trend was found in one study-from 6% to 10%. The rates of diffuse peritonitis ranged from 1.6% to 10.2% of all hospitalizations and 11% and 47% of the complicated cases and were stable in the time. Conclusions: The available data precluded definitive conclusions because of the significant discrepancy between the included studies. The leading cause was the presence of heterogeneity due to coding inaccuracies in all databases, absence of ICD codes to distinguish the different type of complications, and the lack of coding data about some general conditions such as sepsis, shock, malnutrition, steroid therapy, diabetes, pulmonary, and heart failure.

Diverticular disease epidemiology: acute hospitalisations are growing fastest in young men

BACKGROUND

Older age has long been linked to risk of diverticulitis, but the epidemiology is seldom described for a national population. The aim of this study was to investigate age- and gender differences in incidence, temporal trends, lifetime risk and prevalence related to acute diverticulitis hospitalisations in New Zealand.

METHODS

Records of all hospitalisations with diverticulitis the primary diagnosis were obtained from the Ministry of Health for the period 2000-2015. The first acute diverticulitis admission recorded for an individual was taken as an incident event; all others were classified as recurrent. Trends in age- and sex-specific and age-standardised incidence rates are described, and lifetime risk and prevalence estimated.

RESULTS

Over the 16 years from 2000 to 2015, 37,234 acute hospitalisations for diverticulitis were recorded in 28,329 people aged 30 + years (median = 66 years). Rates of incident hospitalisations rose with age, from 5/10,000 person-years at age 50-54 years to 19/10,000py by age 80-84 years. Rates for women were lower than men before age 55 years, but higher thereafter. Age-standardised rates rose 0.2/10,000py annually, but approximately doubled among men aged < 50 years. Lifetime risk was estimated at over 5%, with the prevalence pool rising to over 1.5% of the population aged 30+ in 2030.

CONCLUSIONS

Rapid increases in diverticulitis admissions among young men since 2000 correspond with increases reported elsewhere but remain unexplained; notably young women follow similar trends 5-10 years later. Increasing incidence, combined with population ageing, adds urgency to explain diverticular formation, to understand factors that trigger or provoke their inflammation/infection, and to clarify treatment and (self-)management pathways.

Changing theories on the pathogenesis and risk factors for diverticulitis

Diverticulitis was thought to be a simple complication of an even simpler disease (diverticulosis), but may in fact result from an entirely new set of complex pathologies. Considering diverticulitis is increasing in annual incidence and becoming more prevalent in younger populations, the implications of appropriate management become more vital than ever. This article reviews old and new understandings of diverticulitis and current recommendations for prevention and clinical management.

Recurrent Acute Diverticulitis: When to Operate?

Objective

Recurrent acute diverticulitis carries a major burden to any form of health care. Patients present repeatedly to medical centers with a multitude of symptoms and may require different modalities of treatment with significant morbidities and impact on quality of life.

Methods

We therefore wanted to identify factors that would imply the need and time of surgery versus conservative management. The literature was thoroughly searched for major studies tackling this topic. Furthermore, studies reporting on decision making based on quality of life were included. Risks of developing recurrent diverticulitis and the potential need of surgery were identified. Relevant surgical details that would decrease recurrence were also denoted.

Results

Surgery has been the mainstay of treatment for quite some time. However, the paradigms of treatment have changed over the last few years, especially when long-term population studies confirmed that not all patients require surgical treatment with its associated risk of morbidity.

Conclusion

Treatment now has to be patient-tailored with special attention to the subgroup of high-risk patients. These patients must be adequately selected, identifying the impact of the disease on the quality of life and weighing in the risks of the surgical intervention.