Loading...
Although antibiotics traditionally have been used to treat all patients with diverticulitis, high-quality evidence during the past decade suggests they are unnecessary for acute uncomplicated cases. In 2021, a randomized outpatient study added new data to support this conclusion.
In past studies, inpatients with acute uncomplicated diverticulitis have been randomized to receive antibiotics or not: Outcome data confirmed no differences in pain levels, complications requiring surgery, duration of hospitalizations, or readmission rates (Br J Surg 2012; 99:532; Br J Surg 2017; 104:52; NEJM JW Gen Med Jul 1 2020 and Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021; 19:503). However, the question of whether hospitalization itself affected these findings was never …