It requires antibiotics and resting of the bowel by avoiding food or, at times, even liquids. For severe cases, the patient must be hospitalized. Bleeding At times, bleeding can occur from a ruptured blood vessel in diverticuli. This may produce a gush of blood from the rectum or, occasionally, black stools when the bleeding is from a diverticulum in the right colon. This complication is the most uncommon but the most serious.
Bacteria escape into the abdomen where peritonitis, or an abscess, can develop.
Abdominal surgery usually is required to correct this problem. The medical history is the physician's most important tool in diagnosing diverticulitis. The physical exam may find tenderness present in the left lower abdomen. A barium enema x-ray usually is required to determine the extent of the disorder. Flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy are exams performed through the rectum with a lighted, flexible endoscope.