University of Lynchburg DMSc Doctoral Project Assignment Repository
Specialty
Internal Medicine
Advisor
Laura Witte, Ph.D., PA-C
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Recommendations for the treatment of acute uncomplicated diverticulitis have changed in recent years. In sharp contrast to the time-honored practice of treating acute uncomplicated diverticulitis with antibiotics, the new guidelines suggest that antibiotic therapy may not always be necessary. Evidence shows that skipping antibiotics in the treatment of acute uncomplicated diverticulitis does not increase a patient's risk for the development of short or long-term complications, including abscess formation, bowel perforation, and the need for surgical intervention. The choice to forgo antibiotics is not appropriate for every patient with acute uncomplicated diverticulitis and must be made on a case-by-case basis. Although there is no current validated clinical tool to aid clinicians in determining which patients may be candidates for a non-antibiotic treatment regimen, current literature indicates a number of factors that, when present, may be predictive of disease progression and subsequent complications.
Recommended Citation
Barwell J. The Treatment of Acute Uncomplicated Diverticulitis: The Shift Away From Antibiotics. University of Lynchburg DMSc Doctoral Project Assignment Repository. 2023; 5(2).
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