Diverticulitis: A Primer for Primary Care Providers
Although accreditation for this CE/CME activity has expired, and the posttest is no longer available, you can still read the full article.
Expires July 31, 2019
Treatment of this common complication of diverticular disease is predicated on whether the presentation signals uncomplicated or complicated disease. While some uncomplicated cases require hospitalization, many are amenable to primary care outpatient, and often conservative, management. The longstanding practice of antibiotic treatment of uncomplicated cases is now considered a selective, rather than a routine, option.
CONCLUSION
As this article shows, the spectrum of clinical presentations for diverticulitis is broad, and management most often requires a case-by-case approach. Treatment is dictated by whether disease presentation is uncomplicated or complicated; outpatient management is appropriate for uncomplicated cases in the absence of specific criteria for hospitalization. Recent evidence supports a paradigm shift away from mandatory dietary restriction and routine antibiotic use.
,false
