[Acute colitis with surgical involvement. A retrospective study]

A retrospective study of 34 patients with acute colitis--inflammatory, ischaemic and other--is presented in order to find out which clinical data are important for diagnosis and therapy. Early aetiological diagnosis and right timing of surgery are mandatory to improve the outcome of critically ill patients. Colectomy associated with proximal diversion and followed by secondary reconstruction led to the best results in patients with surgical indications.