Diverticulitis New therapy for intestinal disease

Experts recommend new therapy concepts for intestinal disease

01/11/2015

Diverticulitis is a disease of the large intestine, which often leads to very unpleasant complaints. In addition to abdominal pain, it usually comes to fever and indigestion. Experts now recommend new concepts for the treatment of intestinal disease.

Protuberances of the intestinal wall
In western industrialized countries diverticulum formation in the colon is frequent and increases with increasing age. Diverticula are small deposits in the intestinal wall that can become inflamed, break up, and affect neighboring organs such as the bladder. If through a ruptured diverticulum intestinal contents get into the abdomen (intestinal perforation), there is danger to life. Diverticular inflammation (diverticulitis) usually causes abdominal pain on the left side and, more rarely, in the right side of the abdomen. Other symptoms include fever, nausea and vomiting, as well as changes in stool behavior from diarrhea to constipation.

New therapy guidelines
So far, patients were usually prescribed premature antibiotics. But recent studies have shown that this often brings no advantage, like the „pharmacy magazine“ (1/2015 A) reports. The inflammation often torments patients repeatedly. „Only a few years ago it was the rule to operate after the second episode of inflammation“, explained Professor Martin Kreis, Director of the Department of General Surgery at the Berlin Charité. „This recommendation no longer exists.“ Studies have shown that the complication rate does not increase with the number of inflammations. Today physicians should wait for new therapy guidelines more often and only intervene if complications require it. (Ad)

Picture: Hartmut910