Categories: Colonoscopy

July 2008 Volume 4, Issue 7

Manish Arora, MD, and Patrick I. Okolo III, MD, MPH

Download PDF

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of low-volume powder polyethylene glycol (PEG)-3350 as a sole bowel preparation for colonoscopy. METHODS: This case series examined 245 consecutive patients (a mixture of inpatients and outpatients undergoing screening colonoscopy) at a hospital endoscopy center over a 2-year period. The patients received powder PEG-3350 in the amount of 204 g dissolved in 32 oz of water and taken in 3 divided doses 1 hour apart with 8 oz of water in between each dose. Colon preparation scores (CPS) were used to assess the quality of colon cleansing. The results obtained from the 245 patients were collated and compared to those of patients receiving sodium phosphate, the historical control. RESULTS: The mean CPS was calculated to be 3.43, with a standard deviation of 1.12. Of the 245 patients, 92 were scored with a grade of 4, and 5 patients had incomplete colonoscopies secondary to failure of bowel preparation (CPS=0). Among the remaining patients, 22 and 26 were graded as poor (CPS=1) or fair (CPS=2) bowel preparations, respectively. CONCLUSION: The low-volume powder PEG-3350 formula used in our case series showed effective colon cleansing and may be considered for use as a sole bowel preparation.