Guideline Video

Guideline Resources

  • Colonic Diverticulitis
  • American College of Gastroenterology
  • July 1, 2026
  • Summary
  • Full-text

Video Transcription

Just published July 1st, 2026, the American College of Gastroenterology’s newest guideline on Colonic Diverticulitis.

This guideline provides practical, evidence-based recommendations for the management of diverticulitis in the outpatient gastroenterology setting.

In today’s rapid update, we’ll just be going over a summary of recommendations so for the full guideline, make sure to check it out on guidelinecentral.com

Let’s get started. 

  • The guideline recommends colonoscopy after recovery from an episode of complicated diverticulitis to rule out a missed cancer or premalignant lesion.
  • The guideline suggests colonoscopy after recovery from an episode of uncomplicated diverticulitis to rule out a missed cancer or premalignant lesion in patients with alarm symptoms or in those not current with colon cancer screening.
  • The guideline suggests against routine antibiotics for low-risk patients with acute uncomplicated diverticulitis. Antibiotic use is appropriate for patients with high-risk features, immunocompromise, frailty, or inability to ensure safe outpatient management.
  • The guideline suggests a healthy diet in patients with a history of diverticulitis to reduce the risk of recurrence.
  • In patients with a history of diverticulitis, the guideline suggests against the avoidance of nut, corn, seed, or popcorn consumption to reduce the risk of recurrence.
  • Unless there is a clinical indication, the guideline suggests patients avoid regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs after recovery from an episode of diverticulitis to reduce the risk of recurrence.
  • In patients with a history of diverticulitis who smoke, the guideline suggests smoking cessation to reduce the risk of recurrence.
  • In patients with a history of diverticulitis who consume heavy alcohol, the guideline suggests moderation to reduce the risk of recurrence.
  • In patients with a history of diverticulitis who are overweight or obese, the guideline suggests weight loss to reduce the risk of recurrence.
  • The guideline suggests regular physical activity in patients with a history of diverticulitis to reduce the risk of recurrence.
  • In patients with recurrent, uncomplicated diverticulitis that significantly impairs quality of life, the guideline suggests surgical referral to discuss the risks and benefits of elective colon resection.
  • In patients with a history of acute diverticulitis, the guideline recommends against the use of probiotics to reduce the risk of recurrence.
  • The guideline recommends against the use of mesalamine in patients with a history of acute diverticulitis to reduce the risk of recurrence.
  • The guideline recommends against the use of rifaximin in patients with a history of acute diverticulitis to reduce the risk of recurrence.

And there you have it. Make sure to check out the full guideline from the American College of Gastroenterology and other related clinical decision support tools at guidelinecentral.com.

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