title: [Patients with diagnosed colonic diverticulitis admitted to a department of surgery].
abstract: In 1995-96, 148 patients with the diagnosis diverticulitis of the colon were admitted a total of 176 times to the Department of Gastroenterologic Surgery at Ullevaal Hospital in Oslo. Data on treatment and outcome were recorded retrospectively from patient files. 92% of the hospitalisations were emergency cases of abdominal pain. In 113 hospitalisations, patients were initially treated with intravenous antibiotics, aspiration of the stomach, later oral antibiotics. No deaths were recorded. In 8 out of 64 patients (13%) hospitalised with diverticulitis for the first time, the diagnosis could not be verified by coloscopy or bowel enema. In 63 hospitalisations (36%), the patients underwent surgery. Hartmann's procedure was performed in 31 out of 49 emergency cases. 22 patients undergoing surgery in an emergency setting had perforated diverticulitis; 5 of these patients died within 15 days. 14 patients had planned surgery with bowel resection and 15 patients had a planned closing of the stoma. Two of these 29 patients died post-operatively. Acute diverticulitis is a serious condition, especially when the bowel has perforated. Complications develop both after emergency and elective surgery. We recommend careful selection of patients.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterologisk avdeling, Ullevål sykehus, Oslo.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wiedswang
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carlsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004239:Diverticulitis, Colonic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018579:Patient Selection; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome