# Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Vietnam: Insights From a Retrospective Study at Bach Mai Hospital

## TL;DR

This study examines the characteristics and treatment patterns of inflammatory bowel disease patients in Vietnam, highlighting severe disease presentations and limited access to advanced therapies.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into IBD management and treatment strategies in Vietnam, emphasizing the predominance of step-up therapy due to limited access to biologics.

## Key findings

- Most IBD patients at Bach Mai Hospital were treated with step-up therapy due to limited access to advanced treatments.
- A significant proportion of patients required therapy escalation within 12 months, with higher rates in UC compared to CD.
- Patients often presented with severe disease manifestations and poor prognostic factors.

## Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn′s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is an emerging disease in Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam. This study was conducted to characterize patients with IBD who were managed as inpatients.

This is a retrospective study at the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Center, Bach Mai Hospital, from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2024. Medical records from clinical information of all patients admitted for inpatient treatment were used.

There were 242 patients with IBD, of whom 143 had CD and 99 had UC. In patients with UC, disease extent was classified as E1 (24.0%), E2 (62.2%), and E3 (23.8%). For patients with CD, the disease location was L1 (9.1%), L2 (48.3%), L3 (32.9%), and L4 (2.1%), and the disease phenotype was B1 (49.0%), B2 (16.8%), B3 (34.2%), with 16.0% having perianal lesions. A total of 81.8% of patients were treated with the step‐up therapy; 18.2% were treated with the top‐down strategy, and there was a difference between CD and UC. After 12 months of follow‐up, 20% of patients required therapy escalation, including 18.2% with CD and 23.2% with UC.

Inpatients with IBD at Bach Mai Hospital often present with severe manifestations and poor prognostic factors. Although biologic agents are increasingly used in CD, most patients are still managed with a step‐up approach due to limited access to advanced treatments.