Patient education: Colitis – Discharge instructions (The Basics)

What are discharge instructions? — Discharge instructions are information about how to take care of yourself after getting medical care for a health problem.

What is colitis? — Colitis is inflammation or swelling of the lining of the colon. The colon is also called the large intestine (figure 1). There are many types of colitis.

How do I care for myself at home? — Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure that you understand exactly what you need to do to care for yourself. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

You should also do the following:

●Take all of your medicines exactly as your doctor tells you to.

●Follow the special diet that your doctor recommended, if they gave you one.

●Try to eat a little food. Good choices are potatoes, noodles, rice, oatmeal, crackers, bananas, soup, and boiled vegetables.

●Drink plenty of water, unless your doctor told you otherwise. This will help replace fluids lost from diarrhea or vomiting. Good options are water and "oral electrolyte solutions" that you can buy at most supermarkets or pharmacies.

●If your colitis was related to an infection:

•Wash your hands with soap and water before eating or preparing food, and after using the toilet or changing diapers.

•Stay home until you feel better and your doctor says that you are no longer contagious.

•Practice food safety to lower the risk of getting an infection again. This includes cooking all food fully, washing fruits and vegetables before eating them, and cleaning all your cooking tools and surfaces well.

What follow-up care do I need? — Your doctor or nurse will tell you if you need to make a follow-up appointment. If so, make sure that you know when and where to go.

When should I call the doctor? — Call for advice if:

●You have a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher that lasts for several days or keeps coming back.

●You have signs of fluid loss, such as:

•Dark-colored urine

•Dry mouth

•Muscle cramps

•Lack of energy

•Feeling lightheaded when you get up

•Not needing to urinate for more than 8 hours

•Feeling very lightheaded or like you are going to pass out

•Feeling weak, like you are going to fall

●You have new or increasing bloody bowel movements.

●You have very bad belly pain.

●You have diarrhea that lasts more than a few days.

●You have trouble keeping fluids down, or you keep vomiting.

More on this topic

Patient education: Colitis (The Basics)
Patient education: Ulcerative colitis in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Ulcerative colitis in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Microscopic colitis (The Basics)
Patient education: Colonoscopy (The Basics)

Patient education: Ulcerative colitis (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Colonoscopy (Beyond the Basics)