The management of emergency hospital visits for inflammatory bowel diseases: A French national expert consensus report.

BACKGROUND

Management of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in the emergency department is often suboptimal.

AIMS: To develop a national consensus checklist of indicators to facilitate decision-making in emergency departments concerning hospitalisation and referral for abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT).

METHODS

A Delphi survey was used to obtain consensus on a checklist of clinical and biological variables. 119 healthcare professionals experienced in treating IBD were invited to participate. Panellists were provided with a literature survey and invited to agree or disagree with items on a prototype checklist. Two successive rounds of voting were organised.

RESULTS

The prototype checklist included fifteen clinical or laboratory indicators for hospitalisation or CT. Four indicators were not retained in the Delphi process and four additional indicators added. The final indicators retained were: abdominal signs/symptoms of disease exacerbation, intravenous morphine titration, fever, vomiting, dehydration, recent intestinal surgery, ano-perineal abscess, bowel obstruction, haemodynamic instability, anaemia, acute kidney failure and elevated C-reactive protein. Consensus for the retained indicators was >88%.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of this consensus checklist for the management of IBD in the emergency department may help improve standards of care and thus reduce the burden of these diseases.