Host: Esteban Figueroa, MD

Exploring the ACE Index in Acute Ulcerative Colitis

Rebecca K Grant, Gareth-Rhys Jones, Nikolas Plevris, Ruairi W Lynch, Philip W Jenkinson, Charlie W Lees, Thomas A Manship, Fiona A M Jagger, William M Brindle, Mrithula Shivakumar, Jack Satsangi, Ian D R Arnott

Background: Intravenous (IV) steroids remain the first-line treatment for patients with acute ulcerative colitis (UC). However, 30% of patients do not respond to steroids, requiring second-line therapy and/or surgery. There are no existing indices that allow physicians to predict steroid nonresponse at admission. We aimed to determine if admission biochemical and endoscopic values could predict response to IV steroids.

Methods: All admissions for acute UC (ICD-10 K51) between November 1, 2011, and October 31, 2016 were identified. Case note review confirmed diagnosis; clinical, endoscopic, and laboratory data were collected. Steroid response was defined as discharge home with no further therapy for active UC. Nonresponse was defined as requirement for second-line therapy or surgery. Univariate and binary logistic regression analyses were employed to identify factors associated with steroid nonresponse.

Results: Two hundred and thirty-five acute UC admissions were identified, comprising both acute severe and acute nonsevere UC; 155 of the 235 patients (66.0%) …