Guidelines for the management of ulcerative colitis in the adult population (update)

Objective: In 2015, the Asociacion Colombiana de Gastroenterologia (Colombian Association ofGastroenterology), with the support of the Institute of Clinical Research of the Universidad Nacional deColombia, created the Clinical Practice Guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of ulcerative colitis. Sincethen, new therapeutic alternatives and concepts about treatment goals have emerged, making it necessaryto update its contents. Materials and methods: The present update was carried out by a multidisciplinary team with support from the Asociacion Colombiana de Gastroenterologia and the Clinical Research Institute of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Questions regarding new treatments and endoscopic surveillance of adult patients with ulcerative colitis were developed, and national and international guidelines were searched in specialized databases. The guidelines were evaluated in terms of quality and applicability. The Cochrane Group conducted a systematic search of the existing literature, and evidence tables and recommendations were made using the GRADE methodology. Results: The guideline for the treatment of ulcerative colitis in adults in Colombia was updated, and new treatment algorithms were designed, taking into account the extent and activity of the disease and the different levels of care. Conclusions: The relevance of clinical and endoscopic assessment for treatment was established, and the indications for the proper management of patients with ulcerative colitis were specified. Furthermore, recommendations were made for endoscopic surveillance of colorectal cancer, and the importance of chromoendoscopy was established.