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Anesthesiology9 papers

Diversion colitis

Last edited: 4/14/2026

Overview

Diversion colitis refers to inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract resulting from fecal diversion, often seen in patients with a permanent or long-term colostomy or ileostomy 4.

Diagnosis

  • Identification of chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, and signs of colitis in patients with fecal diversion 4.
  • Endoscopic findings showing mucosal inflammation consistent with colitis 4.
  • Histopathological examination revealing characteristic inflammatory changes in biopsy samples 4.
  • Management

  • No specific first-line pharmacological treatments mentioned; management often focuses on supportive care and addressing underlying causes 4.
  • Monitoring and managing complications such as nutritional deficiencies and infections 4.
  • Consider surgical revision or reversal of the diversion if feasible and appropriate 4.
  • Special Populations

  • No specific guidance provided for pregnancy, pediatrics, or elderly patients in the given abstracts 34.
  • Patients with multiple comorbidities may require tailored surgical approaches like sigmoidoscopy-assisted colostomy for safer fecal diversion 3.
  • Key Recommendations

  • Implement comprehensive surveillance systems using information management databases to detect atypical drug transactions indicative of diversion 2 (Evidence: Moderate).
  • Establish multidisciplinary teams including pharmacy, safety, nursing, and legal departments to prevent and detect drug diversion effectively 1 (Evidence: Expert opinion).
  • Vigilantly monitor patients with fecal diversion for signs of diversion colitis, including chronic gastrointestinal symptoms and endoscopic findings 4 (Evidence: Weak).
  • References

    1 Berge KH, Dillon KR, Sikkink KM, Taylor TK, Lanier WL. Diversion of drugs within health care facilities, a multiple-victim crime: patterns of diversion, scope, consequences, detection, and prevention. Mayo Clinic proceedings 2012. link 2 Epstein RH, Gratch DM, Grunwald Z. Development of a scheduled drug diversion surveillance system based on an analysis of atypical drug transactions. Anesthesia and analgesia 2007. link 3 Beilman GJ, Jonson GM. Sigmoidoscopy-assisted colostomy--an adapted trephine stoma formation. Digestive surgery 2002. link 4 Griffiths AP, Dixon MF. Microcarcinoids and diversion colitis in a colon defunctioned for 18 years. Report of a case. Diseases of the colon and rectum 1992. link

    Original source

    1. [1]
    2. [2]
    3. [3]
      Sigmoidoscopy-assisted colostomy--an adapted trephine stoma formation.Beilman GJ, Jonson GM Digestive surgery (2002)
    4. [4]
      Microcarcinoids and diversion colitis in a colon defunctioned for 18 years. Report of a case.Griffiths AP, Dixon MF Diseases of the colon and rectum (1992)

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