Trends and Outcomes of Acute Diverticulitis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Propensity-matched National Study

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may be at increased risk for acute diverticulitis (AD) complications due to luminal inflammation and immune modifying medications. We aimed to assess outcomes of acute diverticulitis in patients with IBD.

A propensity-matched analysis of the National Inpatient Sample database was performed to assess outcomes of AD in adult patients (older than 18 years) from 2004 to 2013 with and without IBD. Outcomes included in-hospital mortality, need for percutaneous drainage, surgery, venous thromboembolism (VTE), total cost, and length of stay (LOS). A subgroup analysis comparing patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) was performed.

After propensity matching, compared with non-IBD patients (n = 15,015); Patients with IBD (n = 15,106) did not have significantly higher rate of mortality and surgical intervention but had significantly higher rates of percutaneous drainage (4% vs 3.4%; P = 0.002), VTE (1.1% vs 0.7%; P < 0.001), longer LOS (P < 0.001), and total cost (P < 0.001). Compared with CD, UC was associated with significantly higher rates of surgical intervention (20.3% vs 19%; P = 0.04), in-hospital mortality (1.4% vs 0.4%; P < 0.001), VTE (1.6% vs 0.7%; P < 0.001), total cost ($41,672 ± $61,358 vs $33,951 ± $54,376; P < 0.001), and LOS (6.4 ± 6.4 vs 5.7 ± 5.3; P < 0.001). From 2004 to 2013, there was a significant increase of IBD (range 0.5% to 0.8%; P = < 0.001) in AD patients with overall stable mortality (0.5% to 1.0%; P = 0.47) of AD in patients with IBD.

Patients with IBD are at increased risk of complicated diverticulitis and worse outcomes compared with matched controls. Optimal AD management strategies in IBD are needed.