Second Korean guidelines for the management of ulcerative colitis

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Clinical Medicine
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research

Background:

• Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease with a relapsing-remitting course, significantly impacting patient quality of life and incurring high treatment costs.
• While UC incidence and prevalence in Korea are lower than in Western countries, they are rapidly increasing.
• Current UC management involves various therapies, including biologics, but challenges and practice variations persist among clinicians.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an updated, evidence-based guideline for the management of ulcerative colitis (UC) in Korea.
• To address the increasing prevalence of UC and standardize clinical practice.
• To offer specific recommendations for active colitis treatment, remission maintenance, and surgical indications.

Main Methods:

• Adaptation of several international guidelines for the Korean context.
• Inclusion of recommendations based on the quality of evidence and classification of recommendations.
• Development by the IBD study group of the Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Diseases.

Main Results:

• The updated guidelines encompass comprehensive management strategies for ulcerative colitis.
• Specific recommendations are provided for treating active colitis, maintaining remission, and determining surgical indications.
• The guidelines present recommendations with clear quality of evidence and classification.

Conclusions:

• The updated Korean guidelines provide a standardized framework for ulcerative colitis management.
• These guidelines aim to improve patient outcomes and address the growing burden of UC in Korea.
• The recommendations facilitate consistent clinical decision-making for healthcare providers treating UC patients.