This retrospective study looking at a readmission database for patients greater than 65 years categorized 10,000 patients into non-frail, pre-frail and frail based on the five-factor modified frailty index. They found no difference in recurrent diverticulitis among the groups but did find:
“frailty was a predictor of mortality on index hospitalization (adjusted odds ratio, 1.99; p < 0.001) and readmissions (adjusted odds ratio, 3.05; p < 0.001)…frail patients are at increased risk of mortality once they develop diverticulitis. Optimal management for frail patients with diverticulitis must be defined to improve outcomes.”
Once again, assessing your patient's frailty can help you predict outcomes and have meaningful discussions with patients and their families.
References
Hejazi, Omar MD; Colosimo, Christina DO, MS, FACS; Khurshid, Muhammad Haris MD; Stewart, Collin MD, FACS; Al Ma'ani, Mohammad MD; Anand, Tanya MD, MPH, FACS; Castillo Diaz, Francisco MD; Castanon, Lourdes MD, FACS; Magnotti, Louis J. MD, MS, FACS; Joseph, Bellal MD, FACS. Does frailty predict readmission and mortality in diverticulitis? A nationwide analysis. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery 99(4):p 605-610, October 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/TA.0000000000004707
