Does a colonoscopy after acute diverticulitis affect its management?: a single center experience.

BACKGROUND/GOALS: Clinical diagnosis of acute diverticulitis is currently confirmed by an abdominal computerized tomography (CT). Common practice has been to perform a colonoscopy after the event to exclude other diagnoses, mainly colon cancer. Our aim was to evaluate the yield of an early colonoscopy. METHODS: Medical records of 220 patients hospitalized for acute diverticulitis between June 1, 2002 and September 1, 2009 were reviewed. Acute diverticulitis was diagnosed by clinical criteria and characteristic CT findings. Fifteen patients were excluded either because of questionable CT or hematochezia. Mean age was 61.8±14.3 years (61% females). Clinical parameters, laboratory results, imaging, endoscopic and histopathological reports, and long-term patients' outcome were analyzed. RESULTS: One hundred patients (aged 61.8±13.3 y, 54.1% females), underwent an early (4 to 6 wk) colonoscopy after hospital discharge. There were no significant differences in patients' characteristics or survival between those with or without colonoscopy (4±1.9 vs. 4.2±2.1 y, P=0.62). No colonic malignancy was detected. However, in 32 patients (32%) at least 1 polyp was found. Only 1 was determined as an advanced adenoma. No new or different diagnosis was made after colonoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that colonoscopy does not affect the management of patients with acute diverticulitis nor alter the outcome. The current practice of a routine colonoscopy after acute diverticulitis, diagnosed by typical clinical symptoms and CT needs to be reevaluated.

Predictors of failed colonoscopy in nonagenarians: a single-center experience.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Data on the yield of conventional colonoscopy in very old patients remain limited. The aim of the study was to evaluate the outcome of colonoscopy in nonagenarian patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The safety, success rate to complete colonoscopy and findings of colonoscopies performed during the last 5 years in our center were compared between 41 nonagenarians (group 1) and 2 control groups: 50 consecutive patients aged 70 to 79 years (group 2) and 50 consecutive patients aged 50 to 59 years (group 3). Serum hemoglobin, albumin, patients' source, indications for and colonoscopies findings were retrieved for the total study cohort and comorbidities, mental and functional states for group 1 only. Reasons for colonoscopy failure and predictive factors for failed colonoscopy were analyzed. Chi-square test was used to detect differences in categorical variables by failure or age group. Failure was modeled using logistic regression analyses, and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. All tests were 2-sided and considered significant at P<0.05. RESULTS: Failed colonoscopy was significantly more prevalent in group 1. The main reason for it was bad preparation. Malignant tumors were significantly more frequently observed in the elderly (groups 1 and 2) than in the younger age group. No complications during and 48 hours postcolonoscopy were observed in all study participants. In univariate analyses in group 1 mental and functional states were inversely and low serum hemoglobin and albumin levels were positively, significantly associated with failure to complete colonoscopy. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, only functional state retained significance as a predictor of failed colonoscopy (odds ratio 5.6, 95% confidence interval 1.5-21.06, P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Colonoscopy in nonagenarians is a safe procedure; however, it carries a significantly higher failure rate. Functional decline was found to be a significant predictive factor for failed colonoscopy.