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Colorectal
Education in practice
How to manage: acute severe colitis
  1. Thomas Edward Conley,
  2. Joseph Fiske,
  3. Sreedhar Subramanian
  1. Gastroenterology, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust, Liverpool, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Sreedhar Subramanian, Gastroenterology, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust, Liverpool, UK; sreedhar.subramanian{at}rlbuht.nhs.uk

Abstract

Acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) is a medical emergency which is associated with significant morbidity and a mortality rate of 1%. ASUC requires prompt recognition and treatment. Optimal management includes admission to a specialist gastrointestinal unit and joint management with colorectal surgeons. Patients need to be screened for concomitant infections and thromboprophylaxis should be administered to mitigate against the elevated risk of thromboembolism. Corticosteroids are still the preferred initial medical therapy but approximately 30%–40% of patients fail steroid therapy and require rescue medical therapy with either infliximab or cyclosporine. Emergency colectomy is required in a timely manner for patients who fail rescue medical therapy to minimise the risk of adverse post-operative outcomes. We discuss current and emerging evidence in the management of ASUC and outline management approaches for clinicians involved in managing ASUC.

  • ulcerative colitis
  • colonic diseases
  • inflammatory bowel disease
  • infliximab

https://doi.org/10.1136/flgastro-2020-101710

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors TEC and JF drafted the initial version of the manuscript. SS edited the manuscript for content and style. All authors agreed upon the final version of the manuscript.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests SS has received speaker fees from MSD, Actavis, Abbvie, Dr Falk pharmaceuticals, Shire and received educational grants from MSD, Abbvie, Actavis and is an advisory board member for Abbvie, Dr Falk pharmaceuticals, Celltrion and Vifor pharmaceuticals.

    • Provenance and peer review Commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

    • Supplemental material This content has been supplied by the author(s). It has not been vetted by BMJ Publishing Group Limited (BMJ) and may not have been peer-reviewed. Any opinions or recommendations discussed are solely those of the author(s) and are not endorsed by BMJ. BMJ disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the content. Where the content includes any translated material, BMJ does not warrant the accuracy and reliability of the translations (including but not limited to local regulations, clinical guidelines, terminology, drug names and drug dosages), and is not responsible for any error and/or omissions arising from translation and adaptation or otherwise.