It's Actually a Little Complicated: Antibiotics for Uncomplicated Diverticulitis

Abstract

The assumption that acute uncomplicated diverticulitis requires antibiotics has been challenged. In this issue, the Dutch Diverticular Disease Collaborative Study Group report the 2-year follow-up to their trial of observation vs. treatment with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid for acute uncomplicated diverticulitis. The new study provides useful insights on the natural history of acute uncomplicated diverticulitis. The most intriguing data compared rates of elective sigmoid resection between the groups. There was a trend toward more elective surgery in the observation group compared to those in the antibiotic group. It might be too soon to abandon antibiotics for uncomplicated diverticulitis.