Current Management of Patients With Diverticulosis and Diverticular Disease: A Survey From the 2nd International Symposium on Diverticular Disease.

BACKGROUND

Management of diverticular disease (DD) remains a point of debate.

GOALS: To investigate the current opinion of participants of the 2nd International Symposium on Diverticular Disease, on real-life management of patients with DD of the colon.

STUDY: Twelve questions were aimed at the diagnosis, treatment, and management options for diverticulosis and symptomatic DD.

RESULTS

In total, 115 surveys from 8 European Countries were filled out. High fiber diet was widely prescribed in diverticulosis (59.1%). Probiotics (25%) were the most frequent prescribed drug, whereas 29.8% of participants did not prescribe any treatment in diverticulosis. Colonoscopy was frequently prescribed in symptomatic patients (69.3%), whereas 72.9% of participants did not prescribe any instrumental tool in their follow-up. Rifaximin, probiotics, and mesalazine were the most frequent prescribed drugs both in symptomatic patients (28.1, 14.9%, and 11.4%, respectively) and to prevent recurrence of the disease (42.5%, 12.4%, and 28.2%, respectively). With respect to laboratory exams, 57.9% of participants prescribed them during follow-up. The majority of participants (64.9%) managed suspected acute diverticulitis at home. Rifaximin, probiotics, and mesalazine were the most frequent prescribed drugs to prevent recurrence of the disease (32.2%, 13.2%, and 11.4%, respectively), whereas 25.4% of participants did not prescribe any drugs. Finally, no differences were found among gastroenterologists, surgeons, and general practitioners in managing this disease.

CONCLUSIONS

This surveys shows that current management of DD is similar between different medical specialities, generally in line with current literature.