Stan, aged 80, comes to see you with left side abdominal pain and a low-grade fever. He says it is really bad, and it must be for Stan to come and see the doctor.
You referred him for a colonoscopy 2 years ago which excluded colorectal cancer but came back with diverticular disease. You gave him information on a high fibre diet but now he’s back and his symptoms are more severe.
This is a classic example of a common problem doctors face in General Practice. It’s incredibly common and to make a diagnosis lots of questions need answering. How do you make a clinical diagnosis? Do blood tests have a role? If diagnosed how should diverticulitis be managed? Should antibiotics be prescribed? When should the patient be referred to a specialist?
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