Diverticulitis Flare-Up

A patient with Diverticulitis will experience the various symptoms of diverticulitis flare-up include: 

• Sharp, cramping pain over the lower abdomen, usually on the left side
• Fever
• Chills
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Bloating
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Tenderness over the abdomen’s affected area 

Some of the symptoms may lead to a severe level that why the patient should seek immediate medical attention. Possibly, the patient will rush to the emergency room.

Diverticulitis treatment in the hospital

Other tests may include ultrasounds of the abdomen, CT scans, and x-rays of the stomach. These tests might show pouches in the intestines and inflamed areas.

The patient will be admitted to the hospital and will be treated with antibiotics infusions into his/her bloodstream.

Antibiotics

According to Medscape, there are certain oral antibiotics combinations for uncomplicated acute diverticulitis. It is a combination of ciprofloxacin (or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole) and metronidazole. The appropriate oral antibiotic for outpatient treatment of uncomplicated diverticulitis is Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid.

How long can a bout of diverticulitis flare last

Recovery from Diverticulitis

The patient should have a bland diet, eating food like plain rice, bananas, crackers, applesauce until the recovery time. The patient’s intake of regular foods can gradually return little by little. Increasing his/her source of fiber in a diet is highly recommended.

 If the patient experiences sudden mild cramps and pain, he or she can use a heating pad set on the lower part of the belly to ease the tension. The patient should get extra rest until the condition improves. 

Read and follow all the instructions on the label. The patient needed to take the pain medicine prescription as prescribed. The patient must not stop taking it just because the feeling gets better, it is still needed to take its full course of antibiotics. If any pain medicine prescription is not given, ask the doctor first what is appropriate, over-the-counter medicine should be taken.

Repeating episodes of Diverticulitis

Surgery may recommend if the patient has these several signs or symptoms:

• Multiple frequent episodes of diverticulitis result from uncontrolled medications and sudden lifestyle changes
• The intense pain of the abdomen for several days
• Diarrhea, Constipation, or Vomiting for several days
• Bleeding from your rectum
• Blockage in colon
   

Resection Surgeries 

• Bowel resection with Primary Anastomosis
• Hartmann’s Surgery
• Elective Sigmoidectomy
• Bowel resection with colostomy

Bowel resection with Primary Anastomosis

 In anastomosis surgery, a damaged part of the intestine cut-out, both ends of the intestine connect with sutures or pins. The most primary anastomosis was done using laparoscopic surgery, preventing large incisions of the patient.

To perform a bowel resection with primary anastomosis, the surgeon will cut three to five small openings in the abdomen to view the intestines. Next, the surgeon will insert a laparoscope and other surgical tools through the cuts. The abdominal area is filled with gas to disperse the different organs. Surgeons will look at the organs to locate the damaged parts. Will find the affected part of the intestines, cut it from the rest of the intestines, and take it out. Sew the two remaining ends of your intestines back together. Sew up the surgical incisions and clean the areas around them.

Hartmann’s Surgery

The infection of the colon is unsafe for the two ends to be reconnected immediately during the surgery. That is why the other end is sewn or stapled to be closed. 

It may be reattached again after a few weeks of recovery of the colon. And the bowel can return to its normal function. In the meantime, the stool will leave the body through the stoma. The stoma is an opening that connects to the surface of the abdomen. It is collected by an odor-proof container called a colostomy bag, that is attached to the opening skin outside of the abdomen. 

This surgery uses general anesthesia. There are two types of techniques Hartmann’s Surgery uses. An open technique which opens the belly wide open and laparoscopy.

Elective Sigmoidectomy / Sigmoid Resection

Bowel resection with Colostomy

The colostomy may be created by a surgeon when the colon needs time to recover for a few weeks. An odor-proof container called a “colostomy bag” will be attached to the stoma and provide an alternative channel to allow stool to exit through the stomach. The colostomy bag must be emptied manually.  

Performing the colostomy in parts of the colon will depend on why you need it. It will be made in the three parts of the colon:

• Ascending
• Descending
• Transverse

Ascending

• This is performed on the right side of the abdomen. It will only leave a short part of the colon active. This is used when there is a blockage or severe disease and prevents a colostomy from going through the colon.

Descending

• This is performed on the lower left side of the abdomen. 

Transverse

• This is performed in the middle section of the abdomen. Stool leaves the colon through the stoma before reaching the colon. This is used when there is a blockage, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer. There are two openings for the stoma; one is for the feces, and the other is for the mucus that is produced by the resting colon. 

Mortality Rate 

It also stated that up to 22% who already undergo surgical treatment, still have the possibility of having a repeated episode of diverticulitis.

To summarize:

This is another example that being “moderately” healthy is far better than the best medical treatment you can get.