Acute diverticulitis patients with diabetes have poor clinical outcomes, suggests study

USA: Acute diverticulitis patients with diabetes mellitus have lower rates of abscess, obstruction, and colectomy, and a higher rate of diverticular bleeding, according to a recent study in the European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology. Further, the coexistence of acute diverticulitis with complicated diabetes is not associated with higher mortality rates or diverticulitis-related complications versus uncomplicated diabetes.

Acute diverticulitis is a common gastrointestinal illness that occurs due to focal necrosis and diverticular inflammation. Studies have shown diabetes to influence outcomes of diverticular disease patients. Yi Jiang, Department of Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA, and colleagues examine the inpatient outcomes and complications of patients with acute diverticulitis and coexisting diabetes mellitus.

The researchers used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample for identifying adult patients admitted for acute diverticulitis. The study included a total of 44 330 patients with acute diverticulitis and diabetes mellitus.

Primary outcomes were mortality, length of stay (LOS), and total hospitalization charges. Secondary outcomes were complications of acute diverticulitis and interventions. 

Key findings of the study include:

"Acute diverticulitis with diabetes mellitus is associated with a higher rate of diverticular bleeding, lower rates of abscess, obstruction, and colectomy compared to acute diverticulitis without diabetes mellitus," concluded the authors. 

The study, "The effects of diabetes mellitus on clinical outcomes of hospitalized patients with acute diverticulitis," is published in the European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology.

DOI: https://journals.lww.com/eurojgh/Abstract/9000/The_effects_of_diabetes_mellitus_on_clinical.97482.aspx