Index C-reactive protein predicts increased severity in acute sigmoid diverticulitis

The role of procalcitonin as a risk stratification tool of severity, prognosis, and need for surgery in patients with acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis

BACKGROUND

Imaging-based classifications do not always reflect the clinical severity and prognosis of acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis. This study aims to investigate the role of an early procalcitonin assessment in the emergency department as a risk stratification tool for severity, prognosis, and need for surgery in patients with acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, all adult patients consecutively admitted from January 2015 to September 2020 for acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis and having a procalcitonin determination at admission were enrolled. The following data were collected: age, sex, comorbidities, laboratory parameters, level of urgency, clinical presentation, type of treatment, complications, and post-management outcomes. The association between the procalcitonin value at admission and the following endpoints was analyzed: type of treatment, classification of acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis, mortality, and type of surgery.

RESULTS

A total of 503 consecutive patients were enrolled. Procalcitonin >0.5 ng/mL emerged as an independent risk factor for complicated acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis (P = .007). Procalcitonin >0.5 ng/mL (P = .033), together with a history of complicated acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis (P < .001), abdominal pain (P = .04), bowel perforation (P < .001), and peritonitis (P < .001), was a significant risk factor for surgery. Procalcitonin >0.5 ng/mL (P = .007) and peritonitis (P = .03) emerged as independent risk factors for sigmoidectomy without colorectal anastomosis. Procalcitonin >0.5 ng/mL (P = .004), a higher level of urgency at admission (P = .005), Hartmann's procedure (P = .002), and the necessity of mechanical ventilation (P = .004) emerged as independent risk factors for mortality.

CONCLUSION

Procalcitonin >0.05 ng/mL at emergency department admission is a useful risk stratification tool for severity, prognosis, and need for surgical treatment in patients with acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis.

Emergency medicine updates: Acute diverticulitis

INTRODUCTION

Acute diverticulitis is a condition commonly seen in the emergency department (ED). Therefore, it is important for emergency medicine clinicians to be aware of the current evidence regarding the diagnosis and management of this disease.

OBJECTIVE

This paper evaluates key evidence-based updates concerning acute diverticulitis for the emergency clinician.

DISCUSSION

Diverticulitis is a complication of diverticulosis and most commonly affects the sigmoid and descending colon in Western countries. History and examination can suggest the diagnosis, with abdominal pain and tenderness in the left lower quadrant being the most common symptom and sign, respectively. Change in bowel habits and fever may also occur. Laboratory testing may demonstrate leukocytosis or an elevated C-reactive protein. Imaging options can include computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis with intravenous contrast, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or ultrasound (US), though most classification systems for diverticulitis incorporate CT findings. While the majority of diverticulitis cases are uncomplicated, complications may affect up to 25% of patients. Treatment of complicated diverticulitis requires antibiotics and surgical consultation. Antibiotics are not required in select patients with uncomplicated diverticulitis. Appropriate patients for supportive care without antibiotics should be well-appearing, have pain adequately controlled, be able to tolerate oral intake, be able to follow up, have no complications, and have no immunocompromise or severe comorbidities.

CONCLUSIONS

An understanding of literature updates can improve the ED care of patients with acute diverticulitis.

C-Reactive Protein: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, False Test Results and a Novel Diagnostic Algorithm for Clinicians

The current literature provides a body of evidence on C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and its potential role in inflammation. However, most pieces of evidence are sparse and controversial. This critical state-of-the-art monography provides all the crucial data on the potential biochemical properties of the protein, along with further evidence on its potential pathobiology, both for its pentameric and monomeric forms, including information for its ligands as well as the possible function of autoantibodies against the protein. Furthermore, the current evidence on its potential utility as a biomarker of various diseases is presented, of all cardiovascular, respiratory, hepatobiliary, gastrointestinal, pancreatic, renal, gynecological, andrological, dental, oral, otorhinolaryngological, ophthalmological, dermatological, musculoskeletal, neurological, mental, splenic, thyroid conditions, as well as infections, autoimmune-supposed conditions and neoplasms, including other possible factors that have been linked with elevated concentrations of that protein. Moreover, data on molecular diagnostics on CRP are discussed, and possible etiologies of false test results are highlighted. Additionally, this review evaluates all current pieces of evidence on CRP and systemic inflammation, and highlights future goals. Finally, a novel diagnostic algorithm to carefully assess the CRP level for a precise diagnosis of a medical condition is illustrated.

Colonic diverticular disease: clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention Clinical guidelines of the Russian Scientific Medical Society of Internal Medicine, the Gastroenterological Scientific Society of Russia, and the North- West Society of Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists

   Clinical guidelines are intended for gastroenterologists, internists, and general practitioners and focus primarily on the management of patients with symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease, as well as on the primary and secondary prevention of acute diverticulitis and other complications of diverticular disease. Clinical guidelines were developed by the Russian Scientific Medical Society of Internal Medicine, the Gastroenterological Scientifi c Society of Russia, and the North-West Society of Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists. One of the reasons for creating new clinical guidelines is that the current guidelines on diverticular disease (2021) pay much more attention to complications of diverticular disease and surgical treatment of acute and chronic complications of the disease.

Colonic diverticular disease: clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention Clinical guidelines of the Russian Scientific Medical Society of Internal Medicine, the Gastroenterological Scientific Society of Russia, and the North- West Society of Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists

   Clinical guidelines are intended for gastroenterologists, internists, and general practitioners and focus primarily on the management of patients with symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease, as well as on the primary and secondary prevention of acute diverticulitis and other complications of diverticular disease. Clinical guidelines were developed by the Russian Scientific Medical Society of Internal Medicine, the Gastroenterological Scientifi c Society of Russia, and the North-West Society of Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists. One of the reasons for creating new clinical guidelines is that the current guidelines on diverticular disease (2021) pay much more attention to complications of diverticular disease and surgical treatment of acute and chronic complications of the disease.

Diverticular Disease and Rifaximin: An Evidence-Based Review

There have been considerable advances in the treatment of diverticular disease in recent years. Antibiotics are frequently used to treat symptoms and prevent complications. Rifaximin, a non-absorbable antibiotic, is a common therapeutic choice for symptomatic diverticular disease in various countries, including Italy. Because of its low systemic absorption and high concentration in stools, it is an excellent medicine for targeting the gastrointestinal tract, where it has a beneficial effect in addition to its antibacterial properties. Current evidence shows that cyclical rifaximin usage in conjunction with a high-fiber diet is safe and effective for treating symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease, while the cost-effectiveness of long-term treatment is unknown. The use of rifaximin to prevent recurrent diverticulitis is promising, but further studies are needed to confirm its therapeutic benefit. Unfortunately, there is no available evidence on the efficacy of rifaximin treatment for acute uncomplicated diverticulitis.

German guideline diverticular disease/diverticulitis: Part II: Conservative, interventional and surgical management

Diverticulosis and diverticular disease are ranked among the most common gastroenterological diseases and conditions. While for many years diverticulitis was found to be mainly an event occurring in the elder population, more recent work in epidemiology demonstrates increasing frequency in younger subjects. In addition, there is a noticeable trend towards more complicated disease. This may explain the significant increase in hospitalisations observed in recent years. It is not a surprise that the number of scientific studies addressing the clinical and socioeconomic consequences in the field is increasing. As a result, diagnosis and conservative as well as surgical management have changed in recent years. Diverticulosis, diverticular disease and diverticulitis are a complex entity and apparently an interdisciplinary challenge. To meet theses considerations the German Societies for Gastroenterology and Visceral Surgery decided to create joint guidelines addressing all aspects in a truely interdisciplinary fashion. The aim of the guideline is to summarise and to evaluate the current state of knowledge on diverticulosis and diverticular disease and to develop statements as well as recommendations to all physicians involved in the management of patients with diverticular disease.

Randomized control trial on the efficacy of Limosilactobacillus reuteri ATCC PTA 4659 in reducing inflammatory markers in acute uncomplicated diverticulitis

INTRODUCTION

Recent guidelines suggest treating acute uncomplicated diverticulitis (AUD) without antibiotics. We tested the efficacy of Limosilactobacillus reuteri ATCC PTA 4659 in AUD. Primary outcome was the reduction of abdominal pain and inflammatory markers [C-reactive protein (C-RP) and calprotectin]. Secondary outcome was the reduction of hours of hospitalization.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted in 119 patients with AUD. The probiotic group (61 patients) was treated with fluids, bowel rest and L. reuteri/b.i.d. for 10 days. The placebo group (58 patients) was treated with the same therapy and placebo/b.i.d. for 10 days. All patients completed a daily visual analogue scale (VAS) for abdominal pain.

RESULTS

Both groups showed a mean VAS score of 7 at enrolment and a reduction of 4 points after 3 days. C-RP value, after 72 h, decreased by 58.8% in the probiotic group and by only 40% in the placebo group (P < 0.05). Calprotectin levels, after 72 h, decreased by 17% in the probiotic group and by only 10.6% in the control group (P < 0.05). In the probiotic group, the hospitalization was done for 75.5 h compared to 83.5 in the placebo group.

CONCLUSIONS

The supplementation with L. reuteri 4659 together with bowel rest and fluids significantly reduced both blood and faecal inflammatory markers compared to the placebo group.

Management of colonic diverticulitis

Left sided colonic diverticulitis is a common and costly gastrointestinal disease in Western countries, characterized by acute onset of often severe abdominal pain. Imaging is necessary to make an initial diagnosis and determine disease severity. Colonoscopy should be done six to eight weeks after diagnosis to rule out a missed colon malignancy. Antibiotic treatment is used selectively in immunocompetent patients with mild acute uncomplicated diverticulitis. The clinical course of diverticulitis commonly includes unpredictable recurrences and chronic gastrointestinal symptoms, which are a detriment to quality of life. A better understanding of prognosis has prompted a shift toward non-operative approaches. The decision to undergo prophylactic colon resection should be individualized to consider the severity of diverticulitis, the patient's health and immune status, and the patient's preferences and values, as well as benefits and risks. Because only a section of colon is removed, recurrent diverticulitis remains a risk. Acute diverticulitis with an abscess is treated with antibiotics that cover Gram negative and anaerobic bacteria, with or without percutaneous drainage. Acute diverticulitis with purulent or feculent contamination of the peritoneal cavity is managed with surgery; primary resection and anastomosis is the procedure of choice in stable patients.

C-reactive protein trajectory in the first 48 hours predicts the need for intervention in conservative management of acute diverticulitis

BACKGROUND

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a useful marker for monitoring response to treatment in sepsis. The aim of this study was to examine the use of CRP trajectory in predicting the need for intervention in conservatively managed patients with acute diverticulitis (AD).

METHODS

A retrospective review of patients with AD who were managed conservatively was performed. They were divided into four groups based on CRP relative to the median at day 0 and 2: 'Low rise' (levels below median at day 0 and 2), 'High rise' (levels above median at day 0 and 2), 'Rapid rise' (levels below median at day 0 but above median at day 2) and 'Decline' (levels above median at day 0 but below median at day 2).

RESULTS

Intervention was required in 64 of 456 (14%) with 30 (48%) of these performed after day 2 of admission. There were 150 patients (54%) in the 'Low rise', 76 (27%) in the 'Decline', 26 patients (9%) in the 'Rapid rise' and 25 patients (9%) in the 'High rise' groups. Within these groups 5%, 8%, 19% and 32% of patients required intervention (P = 0.001). On multivariate analysis, patients with a pelvic abscess were more likely to need intervention (odds ratio 19.1 (confidence interval 6.2-59.4), P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

The CRP trajectory during the initial 48 h of admission can predict the need for intervention in AD patients being managed conservatively. Patients with a 'Rapid rise' or 'High rise' in CRP from day 0 to 2 are more likely to need intervention.

2020 update of the WSES guidelines for the management of acute colonic diverticulitis in the emergency setting

Acute colonic diverticulitis is one of the most common clinical conditions encountered by surgeons in the acute setting. An international multidisciplinary panel of experts from the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) updated its guidelines for management of acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis (ALCD) according to the most recent available literature. The update includes recent changes introduced in the management of ALCD. The new update has been further integrated with advances in acute right-sided colonic diverticulitis (ARCD) that is more common than ALCD in select regions of the world.

Colonic diverticular disease

Diverticula are outpouchings of the intestinal wall and are common anatomical alterations detected in the human colon. Colonic diverticulosis (the presence of diverticula in the colon; referred to as diverticulosis) remains asymptomatic in most individuals but ~25% of individuals will develop symptomatic diverticulosis, termed colonic diverticular disease (also known as diverticular disease). Diverticular disease can range in severity from symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD) to symptomatic disease with complications such as acute diverticulitis or diverticular haemorrhage. Since the early 2000s, a greater understanding of the pathophysiology of diverticulosis and diverticular disease, which encompasses genetic alterations, chronic low-grade inflammation and gut dysbiosis, has led to improvements in diagnosis and management. Diagnosis of diverticular disease relies on imaging approaches, such as ultrasonography, CT and MRI, as biomarkers alone are insufficient to establish a diagnosis despite their role in determining disease severity and progression as well as in differential diagnosis. Treatments for diverticular disease include dietary fibre, pharmacological treatments such as antibiotics (rifaximin), anti-inflammatory drugs (mesalazine) and probiotics, alone or in combination, and eventually surgery. Despite being effective in treating primary disease, their effectiveness in primary and secondary prevention of complications is still uncertain.

Clinical differentiation of acute appendicitis and right colonic diverticulitis: A case-control study

BACKGROUND

Acute right colonic diverticulitis (ARCD) is an important differential diagnosis of acute appendicitis (AA) in Asian countries because of the unusually high prevalence of right colonic diverticula. Due to qualitative improvement and the high penetration rate of computed tomography (CT) scanning in Japan, differentiation of ARCD and AA mainly depends on this modality. But cost, limited availability, and concern for radiation exposure make CT scanning problematic. Differential findings of ARCD from AA are based on several small studies that used univariate comparisons from Korea and Taiwan. Previous studies on clinical and laboratory differences between AA and ARCD are limited.

AIM

To determine clinical differences between AA and ARCD for differentiation of these two diagnoses by creating a logistic regression model.

METHODS

We performed an exploratory single-center retrospective case-control study evaluating 369 Japanese patients (age ≥ 16 years), 236 (64.0%) with AA and 133 (36.0%) with ARCD, who were hospitalized between 2012 and 2016. Diagnoses were confirmed by CT images. We compared age, sex, onset-to-visit interval, epigastric/periumbilical pain, right lower quadrant (RLQ) pain, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, medical history, body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, RLQ tenderness, peritoneal signs, leukocyte count, and levels of serum creatinine, serum C-reactive protein (CRP), and serum alanine aminotrans-ferase. We subsequently performed logistic regression analysis for differentiating AA from ARCD based on the results of the univariate analyses.

RESULTS

In the AA and ARCD groups, median ages were 35.5 and 41.0 years, respectively (p=0.011); median onset-to-visit intervals were 1 [interquartile range (IQR): 0-1] and 2 (IQR: 1-3) days, respectively (P < 0.001); median leukocyte counts were 12600 and 11500/mm³, respectively (P = 0.002); and median CRP levels were 1.1 (IQR: 0.2-4.1) and 4.9 (IQR: 2.9-8.5) mg/dL, respectively (P < 0.001). In the logistic regression model, odds ratios (ORs) were significantly high in nausea/vomiting (OR: 3.89, 95%CI: 2.04-7.42) and anorexia (OR: 2.13, 95%CI: 1.06-4.28). ORs were significantly lower with a longer onset-to-visit interval (OR: 0.84, 95%CI: 0.72-0.97), RLQ pain (OR: 0.28, 95%CI: 0.11-0.71), history of diverticulitis (OR: 0.034, 95%CI: 0.005-0.20), and CRP level > 3.0 mg/dL (OR: 0.25, 95%CI: 0.14-0.43). The regression model showed good calibration, discrimination, and optimism.

CONCLUSION

Clinical findings can differentiate AA and ARCD before imaging studies; nausea/vomiting and anorexia suggest AA, and longer onset-to-visit interval, RLQ pain, previous diverticulitis, and CRP level > 3.0 mg/dL suggest ARCD.