Audit of bowel preparation with Picolax (sodium picosulfate plus magnesium citrate) for colonoscopy

Preparation for colonoscopy: Recommendations by an expert panel in Italy

BACKGROUND

Despite several guidelines on bowel preparation being available, their applicability in Italy is poorly investigated.

AIMS

(1) To create expert-based recommendations for the Italian setting based on available international guidelines on bowel preparation for colonoscopy; (2) to assess consensus across the Italian endoscopy community.

METHODS

The study was conducted in 2 phases: (a) statements formulation, (b) assessment of consensus. For the first phase, 6 topics related to bowel preparation were identified: (1) efficacy/tolerability; (2) timing; (3) assessment of quality of bowel preparation; (4) factors associated with inadequate preparation; (5) patient education and (6) impact of organisational factors. For each topic, statements were produced and voted by a panel of experts. For consensus assessment, the invited participants were asked to rate the statements. The statement achieved a good level of agreement when at least 70% of voters agreed with it.

RESULTS

25 statements were agreed in the first phase. Agreement was not achieved by the endoscopy community for 7 statements, mainly concerning practical aspects (i.e. strategies for management of patients with inadequate preparation, organisational factors).

CONCLUSION

A clinically relevant consensus was achieved on the main topics of bowel preparation, such as the choice of laxative and the time of administration, and it may help to homogenize the colonoscopy practice in Italy. Nevertheless, there are a few country-specific preparation-related issues that need to be addressed.

Comparison of two common outpatient preparations for colonoscopy in children and youth

Colonoscopies are often performed in children for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Our study compared two bowel-cleansing solutions: sodium picosulphate, magnesium oxide, and citric acid (Pico-Salax) with liquid magnesium citrate as preparations for colonoscopy. A retrospective chart review of all patients seen in the Gastroenterology outpatient clinic and who underwent bowel cleansing in preparation for colonoscopy from February to December 2006 was undertaken. Thirty-two children received Pico-Salax and 36 received liquid magnesium citrate. The tolerability of both solutions was similar. Most children in both groups had liquid stools and complete colonoscopies. Bowel preparation for a colonoscopy can be successfully achieved using either Pico-Salax or liquid magnesium citrate.

The outcome of a second preparation for colonoscopy after preparation failure in the first procedure

BACKGROUND

There are scant data regarding the outcome of consecutive repeated procedures in patients who failed to adequately clean their colon for colonoscopy.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the outcome of a second colonoscopy after preparation-associated failure of the first colonoscopy.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A retrospective study in a tertiary-referral center.

PATIENTS

All patients with failure of colonoscopy because of poor preparation within a 1-year period.

RESULTS

Of a total of 6990 colonoscopies performed during the study period, 307 procedures (4.4%) failed because of inadequate preparation. Data on subsequent repeated colonoscopies were available for 235 patients. The repeated procedure again failed because of unsatisfactory preparation in 54 of these patients (23%). The failure rate in subsequent third and fourth colonoscopies was also high (more than 25%). Of the various patient and procedure-related parameters examined, only the use of calcium channel blockers (CCB) was found to be predictive of a failed repeated preparation (odds ratio [OR] 3.2 [95% CI, 1.6-6.3], P < .001). In contrast, a next-day colonoscopy after failure of the index procedure was associated with a reduced risk of unsatisfactory second preparation (OR 0.31 [95% CI, 0.1-0.92], P = .03).

LIMITATIONS

Validated data on the specific bowel purgatives used were not available.

CONCLUSIONS

Almost a fourth of patients with an unacceptable colonic preparation will also fail the repeated colonoscopy, and patients who use CCB are at particular risk for failure. Strategies to manage this difficult-to-treat patient group should be investigated and may possibly include a preference for next-day colonoscopy.

Comparação entre as soluções orais de manitol a 10% e bifosfato de sódio no preparo mecânico do cólon

OBJETIVO: Comparar o uso das soluções orais de manitol a 10% e de bifosfato de sódio no preparo mecânico do cólon quanto a qualidade da limpeza, a tolerabilidade e as alterações hidroeletrolíticas e da osmolaridade plasmática. MÉTODO: Foram analisados 60 pacientes de modo randomizado, duplo-cego e prospectivo, com indicação de colonoscopia. A qualidade da limpeza intestinal foi analisada pelo examinador através da classificação de Beck. A tolerabilidade à ingestão baseou-se na pesquisa do gosto, presença ou não de desconforto, aparecimento de efeitos adversos e a quantidade da solução ingerida. Foram dosados o sódio, potássio, cálcio, magnésio, fósforo, uréia, creatinina, glicose, hematócrito, hemoglobina e calculado a osmolaridade plasmática, antes e após a ingestão da solução oral de preparo inestinal. RESULTADOS: Ambas as soluções atingiram qualidade de preparo classificado como bom ou superior em mais de 80% dos pacientes. O uso do bifosfato de sódio determinou menor desconforto e melhor tolerância, apesar de não ter sido superior ao manitol quanto à análise do gosto e presença de efeitos adversos. O bifosfato induziu ao aumento e o manitol a uma redução da osmolaridade, reflexo do que ocorreu com o sódio plasmático nos dois grupos respectivamente. O bifosfato ainda determinou alteração significativa dos níveis séricos de fósforo, cálcio, magnésio e potássio, sem repercussões clínicas. CONCLUSÃO: Ambos os tipos de preparo intestinal determinaram qualidade de limpeza adequada. O bifosfato de sódio, apesar de melhor tolerado, determina maior quantidade de alterações hidroeletrolíticas.