P415 The influence of bowel urgency on the quality of life in individuals with ulcerative colitis

• Published in: Journal of Crohn's and colitis Vol. 18; no. Supplement_1; p. i857
• Main Authors: Karakan, T, Dede, A, Özgül, S, Karataş, A, Cindoruk, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 24.01.2024
• ISSN: 1873-9946; 1876-4479
• DOI: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjad212.0545

Abstract Background Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a persistent inflammatory condition marked by periods of relapse and remission, significantly impacting overall quality of life (QoL). Among the various symptoms influencing this quality, bowel urgency (BU) stands out as particularly distressing. BU manifests with profound negative implications on physical health, psychological well-being, and social aspects. Furthermore, bowel urgency (BU) is often omitted from the majority of disease activity scoring systems and is not consistently considered as a treatment outcome. Our objective was to explore the impact of BU on specific subgroups of QoL measures and its correlation with the partial Mayo score. Methods During this cross-sectional study, patients were categorized based on both BU and the concurrent partial Mayo score. The patients completed the Whoqol Bref questionnaire for assessing their QoL. Long-term outcomes, such as steroid use, hospitalization and colectomy, were evaluated at the 6-month follow-up. Results The study included 154 patients diagnosed with UC. When comparing BU with the partial Mayo score in terms of QoL, significant differences were found in the physical health domain (p<0.001), psychology domain (p<0.001), social relationship domain (p<0.014), and environmental domain (p<0.001). Among patients in remission according to the partial Mayo score (25/117, 21.3%), a notable proportion experienced bowel urgency (BU). BU was identified as a predictor for both steroid requirement (OR: 4.7; 95% CI [2.3-9.7], p<0.001) and hospitalization (OR: 4.7; 95% CI [2.3-9.7], p<0.001) during the six-month follow-up period. None of the patients required surgical intervention. Notably, even among patients in remission according to the partial Mayo score (25/117, 21.3%), bowel urgency (BU) persisted. Conclusion We noted that the existence of BU significantly impairs the quality of life for individuals with UC. Moreover, it is associated with an increased probability of future steroid use and hospitalization. Notably, some patients still experienced BU even while in remission. Further investigations are necessary to elucidate the mechanisms contributing to the persistence of these symptoms in these individuals.