Stollman N, Smalley W, Hirano I and AGA Institute Clinical Guidelines Committee. Gastroenterology 2015;149:1944–1949
"Conclusion
- The management of acute diverticulitis has undergone meaningful changes over the past decade, including more judicious use of antibiotics and surgery as well as preliminary and ongoing investigations into medical therapies to decrease symptoms and reduce recurrence. However, the majority of the evidence is currently of poor quality, and most of our recommendations are therefore conditional. Areas that should be priorities for future research include the following:
- Identifying patients who will benefit from antibiotics and those in whom it can safely be withheld.
- Evaluating medical therapies, such as anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, or probiotics, and dietary interventions that may decrease symptoms and complications and/or reduce recurrence rates after an episode of acute diverticulitis.
- Identifying risk factors for recurrent diverticulitis to better target potential medical interventions to populations most likely to benefit.
- Quantifying the yield, risks, and timing of colonoscopy after an episode of acute diverticulitis."