From the Guidelines
Sterocolitis is not a recognized medical term, and the closest condition is likely enterocolitis, which requires prompt diagnosis and treatment to prevent serious complications, as suggested by the most recent guidelines 1.
Definition and Causes
Enterocolitis refers to inflammation of the small intestine and colon, which can be caused by infections, inflammatory bowel diseases, or ischemia.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Common symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, and dehydration. Diagnosis depends on the underlying cause and may involve stool tests, endoscopy, and imaging studies.
Treatment and Management
Treatment depends on the cause but typically includes supportive care with fluid replacement, antibiotics for bacterial infections, anti-inflammatory medications for inflammatory conditions, and sometimes dietary modifications, as outlined in the guidelines 1.
Key Considerations
In severe cases, hospitalization may be necessary, and it is essential to exclude other causes of diarrhea and to consider endoscopic confirmation of the diagnosis and severity of enterocolitis before initiation of high-dose systemic glucocorticoids 1.
- Key points to consider in management include:
- Excluding infectious causes of diarrhea before treatment of suspected enterocolitis 1
- Considering early stool testing for inflammatory markers and endoscopic evaluation in high-risk patients 1
- Using high-dose systemic glucocorticoids for treatment of enterocolitis, with infliximab and vedolizumab as options for glucocorticoid refractory cases 1
- Monitoring patients for complications and adjusting treatment accordingly, as suggested by the guidelines 1
From the FDA Drug Label
The FDA drug label does not answer the question.
From the Research
Definition and Causes of Stercoral Colitis
- Stercoral colitis is inflammation of the bowel wall caused by fecal impaction 2
- It can lead to serious complications, including perforation and death
Presentation and Management of Stercoral Colitis
- Patients with stercoral colitis often present with nonspecific symptoms, such as abdominal pain or distension 2
- The most common CT findings include fecal impaction, bowel wall inflammation, and fat stranding 2
- Management of stercoral colitis typically involves disimpaction, enemas, and laxatives, although some patients may require surgical intervention 2
Treatment and Maintenance Approaches for Ulcerative Colitis
- Mesalamine is a first-line therapy for inducing and maintaining clinical remission in patients with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis 3, 4
- Corticosteroids, azathioprine/mercaptopurine, cyclosporine, and infliximab may be used for patients who are refractory to mesalamine or have more severe disease 3, 4, 5
- The use of once-daily formulations of mesalamine, such as MMX mesalamine, has been shown to be effective in inducing and maintaining clinical remission 4
Comparative Efficacy of Different Treatments for Ulcerative Colitis
- Mesacol has been shown to be more effective than sulfasalazine in treating common forms of ulcerative colitis of light and average severity 6
- The combination of mesalamine with corticosteroids did not benefit hospitalized patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis more than corticosteroids alone 5