Grant: Meetings, Planning & Dissemination Grant: Institute of Nutrition Metabolism....

An area of clinical importance is that of severe ulcerative colitis (UC); an acute condition requiring hospitalization and may be associated with serious complications including mortality. Many clinicians including gastroenterologists, surgeons and to a lesser degree hospitalists are directly involved in the care of hospitalized patients with severe UC. Severe UC remains a condition in which the gastroenterologist assumes the pivotal role. Although there is literature evaluating the management of severe UC there is a paucity of evidence-based clinical trials and there remains the need for setting standards of practice in this field. Thus, this is a clinical management area of keen interest to the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG), and one where it is natural for the CAG to keep a leadership role in setting clinical standards of practice. It is with great pleasure that the organizers of the meeting have learned that the CAG will be providing the administrative infrastructure for this event. In addition to endorsement, and in kind support, by the CAG, we have also secured the endorsement of the CAGS (Canadian Association of General Surgeons) who will have a number of participants involved. The management of patients with severe UC is changing with the advent of newer therapeutic agents. There has never been a Canadian consensus that provides much needed recommendations for the management of patients with severe UC. The annual educational needs assessment of the CAG membership has consistently demonstrated the need for a reappraisal of evolving aspects of management of severe UC.