Comparative Effectiveness and Harms of Antibiotics for Outpatient Diverticulitis
Authors: Nishit Shah, Joseph McGowan
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2022)

LettersMarch 2022Comparative Effectiveness and Harms of Antibiotics for Outpatient DiverticulitisNishit Shah, MD and Joseph McGowan, MDNishit Shah, MDDepartment of Surgery, PIH Health, Whittier, CaliforniaSearch for more papers by this author and Joseph McGowan, MDProfessor of Medicine, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, and Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, New YorkSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L22-0007 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR: We read with interest Gaber and colleagues' article (1) comparing the efficacy of different antibiotics for outpatient diverticulitis. Although it is notable that they evaluated a large number of patients over a considerable length of time, 2 aspects of the study warrant further scrutiny.As the authors briefly mention, several important randomized trials have taken place over the study period that have questioned the value of any antibiotics for uncomplicated diverticulitis—a category into which outpatient diverticulitis would presumably fall (2, 3). Subsequent meta-analyses have corroborated these findings, which has led various national organizations both in Europe and ...References1. Gaber CE, Kinlaw AC, Edwards JK, et al. Comparative effectiveness and harms of antibiotics for outpatient diverticulitis. Two nationwide cohort studies. Ann Intern Med. 2021;174:737-46. [PMID: 33617725] doi:10.7326/M20-6315 LinkGoogle Scholar2. Chabok A, Påhlman L, Hjern F, et al; AVOD Study Group. Randomized clinical trial of antibiotics in acute uncomplicated diverticulitis. Br J Surg. 2012;99:532-9. [PMID: 22290281] doi:10.1002/bjs.8688 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Daniels L, Ünlü Ç, de Korte, et al; Dutch Diverticular Disease (3D) Collaborative Study Group. Randomized clinical trial of observational versus antibiotic treatment for a first episode of CT-proven uncomplicated acute diverticulitis. Br J Surg. 2017;104:52-61. [PMID: 27686365] doi:10.1002/bjs.10309 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Hall J, Hardiman K, Lee S, et al; Prepared on behalf of the Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of left-sided colonic diverticulitis. Dis Colon Rectum. 2020;63:728-47. [PMID: 32384404] doi:10.1097/DCR.0000000000001679 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Peery AF, Shaukat A, Strate LL. AGA clinical practice update on medical management of colonic diverticulitis: expert review. Gastroenterology. 2021;160:906-11. [PMID: 33279517] doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2020.09.059 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Department of Surgery, PIH Health, Whittier, CaliforniaProfessor of Medicine, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, and Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, New YorkDisclosures: Authors have reported no disclosures of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L22-0007. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoComparative Effectiveness and Harms of Antibiotics for Outpatient Diverticulitis Charles E. Gaber , Alan C. Kinlaw , Jessie K. Edwards , Jennifer L. Lund , Til Stürmer , Sharon Peacock Hinton , Virginia Pate , Luther A. Bartelt , Robert S. Sandler , and Anne F. Peery Comparative Effectiveness and Harms of Antibiotics for Outpatient Diverticulitis Charles E. Gaber , Alan C. Kinlaw , and Anne F. Peery Metrics March 2022Volume 175, Issue 3Page: W25-W26 ePublished: 15 March 2022 Issue Published: March 2022 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2022 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...