Comparison of Two Types of Bowel Preparation for Inpatient Colonoscopy

Bowel preparation is a crucial step prior to colonoscopy to help with the optimal assessment of the colonic mucosa. Inadequate bowel preparation increases the length of the procedure, and is associated with decreased lesional detection rates. The ideal bowel preparation formulation should be able to completely clean the bowel, without leaving solid or liquid residues, and without modifying the mucosal appearance.

Bowel preparation may be administered in hospitalised patients or in the ER. Patients have less control on their environment and the intake of the bowel preparation. For example, there may be a delay in pharmacy delivery or inadequate supervision by the treating personnel. Hospitalised patients have more comorbidities, are usually less autonomous and mobile - both can add to the barriers leading to an adequate bowel preparation. Multiple studies have identified hospitalization status as an independent risk factor for poor bowel preparation.

The objective of this study is to access which bowel preparation regimen, between PEG 3350 with electrolytes 2L the day before and 2L the day of the colonoscopy vs bisacodyl + PEG 3350 with electrolytes 1L the day before and 1L the day of the colonoscopy, results in the cleanest bowel preparation in hospitalised patients.