Open AccessA three-step approach to patients with suspected acute diverticulitis in the emergency department: An interdisciplinary algorithm proposal
Author(s) -
Ciro Paolillo,
Massimo Sartelli,
Vittorio Miele,
Luca Ansaloni,
Massimo Valentino,
Cecilia Merli,
Federico Coccolini,
Francesco Toso,
Carmelo Madia,
Federico Coccolini
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
emergency care journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2282-2054
pISSN - 1826-9826
DOI - 10.4081/ecj.2018.7339
Subject(s) - medicine , diverticulitis , diverticular disease , emergency department , abdominal pain , presentation (obstetrics) , multidisciplinary approach , disease , general surgery , acute abdominal pain , intensive care medicine , emergency medicine , surgery , social science , psychiatry , sociology
Patients with acute abdominal pain due to acute colonic diverticulitis are a frequent cause of hospital admission. Diverticuar disease increases with age. In Western populations, diverticular disease is diagnosed in 50% individuals over 70 years and 80% over 85 years of age. The identification of patients with acute diverticulitis is a considerable challenge, since numerous other acute abdominal conditions mimic its clinical characteristics. Another problem is the atypical presentation in older patients. A high index of suspicion in the setting of a compatible history and physical examination serves as the cornerstone of early diagnosis. The purpose of this review is to underline the importance of an intimately integrate multidisciplinary approach between emergency physicians, radiologists and surgeons.