Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis: Review of Management and Emerging Treatments

Authors

  • Natasha Klemm, MD Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.
  • Yvette Leung, MD Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58931/cibdt.2024.2229

Abstract

Acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) is a medical emergency, with an overall mortality rate of 1%. Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) have a 20–25% rate of severe exacerbation requiring hospitalization for urgent medical treatment and surgical consideration. The rate of re-hospitalization for recurrent ASUC is 34.4%, and it typically occurs within 24 months of the index admission. Treatment requires a patient-centred multidisciplinary approach that includes gastroenterology, colorectal surgery, and nutrition support, with the goal of minimizing disease complications, adverse events of treatment, and healthcare costs.6 Clinicians and patients have an increasing number of treatment options and additional safety issues to consider. We review the current approach to management and summarize emerging data on the use of novel agents to treat ASUC. 

Author Biographies

Natasha Klemm, MD, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.

Dr. Klemm is a fifth-year gastroenterology resident at the University of British Columbia. She completed her medical school training at the University of Manitoba in 2019 and internal medicine residency at the University of British Columbia in 2022. During her training, she has published on a variety of gastroenterology topics. She has a special interest in inflammatory bowel disease and following completion of her residency, will undertake an advanced IBD fellowship at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. 

Yvette Leung, MD, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.

Dr. Yvette Leung graduated from University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine and completed her internal medicine residency at the University of British Columbia. She subsequently completed her gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Calgary and an advanced IBD fellowship at the University of Chicago. She started as clinical faculty at the University of Calgary IBD Clinic and moved in 2016 to join the IBD Centre of BC in Vancouver British Columbia. She leads the IBD and Pregnancy Clinic and is an active clinical trials investigator. When she is not working she enjoys the great outdoors on the North Shore with her husband and two kids. 

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Published

2024-09-11

How to Cite

1.
Klemm N, Leung Y. Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis: Review of Management and Emerging Treatments. Can IBD Today [Internet]. 2024 Sep. 11 [cited 2024 Nov. 21];2(2):12–17. Available from: https://canadianibdtoday.com/article/view/2-2-Klemm_et_al

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Volume 2, Issue 2, Summer 2024

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