Pharmacotherapy of inflammatory bowel diseases

Abstract

IBD is a multifactorial disorder of unknown etiology. The treatment of IBD in any given patient may have several different goals, such as relief of symptoms, induction of remission in patients with active disease, prevention of relapse, healing of fistulas, and avoidance of emergency surgery. The current drug treatments include the use of anti-inflammatory agents and agents that reduce the symptoms associated with IBD. Therapy may be modified to some extent based on the severity and location of the disease.