The Use of Biochemical Markers in Complicated and Uncomplicated Acute Diverticulitis

Objective: Diverticulosis is extremely common in western society. A recent study has shown that outpatient, nonantibiotic management of acute uncomplicated diverticulitis may be a feasible and safe option. However, the ability to identify these patients is still difficult. This study explores the ability of white cell count, C-reactive protein, and bilirubin in differentiating patients with complicated and uncomplicated diverticulitis, as well as progression to surgical intervention. Methods: This is a retrospective study of patients admitted with acute diverticulitis over a 5-year period (2009-2014) at a single institution in Australia. Patients were classified into 3 groups; uncomplicated diverticulitis, complicated diverticulitis without surgery, and complicated diverticulitis with surgery. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni's post hoc analyses were used to compare markers across the groups. Results: A total of 541 patients met the inclusion criteria for this study. One-way ANOVA showed a significant difference in white cell count (P < 0.0001), C-reactive protein (P < 0.0001), and bilirubin (P = 0.0006) between all 3 groups. Post hoc analyses showed a significant difference in white cell count, C-reactive protein, and bilirubin when comparing uncomplicated diverticulitis against complicated diverticulitis without surgery (P < 0.05) and complicated diverticulitis with surgery (P < 0.05). White cell count also showed a significant difference when comparing complicated diverticulitis without surgery and complicated diverticulitis with surgery (P < 0.05). Conclusions: White cell count, C-reactive protein, and bilirubin can distinguish between uncomplicated and complicated diverticulitis.