Inpatient infliximab is ineffective at preventing colectomy for steroid refractory extensive colitis

Despite data suggesting safety and efficacy in ulcerative colitis patients treated with inpatient infliximab, prior studies did not focus on patients with extensive colitis, the group at highest risk for requiring surgery.

This was a single center, retrospective study (2008-2015) of consecutive patients who required admission because of severe extensive ulcerative colitis defined by preoperative symptoms and computed tomography scans and postoperative histology. Patients admitted for high-dose steroids were compared with steroid refractory inpatients provided with one or two infusions of infliximab. The primary study outcome was colectomy rates; secondary outcomes included mean length of stay and 60-d complication rates.

A total of 174 patients required admission with steroids for extensive ulcerative colitis. Of these, 19 (10%) also received infliximab. Among the subjects treated with infliximab, 15 (78%) required total colectomy during that admission versus 81 (52%) who received steroids alone (P = 0.03). Postoperative readmission rates, surgical-site infections, return to the operating room, and all-complication rates were similar between the cohorts (P > 0.05).

For steroid refractory extensive ulcerative colitis, inpatient infliximab did not lower colectomy rates or increase postoperative complications compared with patients treated with steroids alone.