Study shows splitting bowel preparation dosage is most effective cleansing method before colonoscopy
A new study from researchers in Italy has found that a split-dosage schedule of bowel (colon) preparation is the most effective method for bowel cleansing before colonoscopy. Colonoscopies performed within six to eight hours of the end of preparation were associated with significantly better cleansing than those performed more than eight hours after the end of preparation. Two different types of bowel cleansing products were also assessed and researchers found that low-volume polyethylene glycol (PEG) plus ascorbic acid was as effective as high-volume PEG-electrolyte solution, but has superior palatability (or taste). This is the first study to demonstrate that the advantage of split-dosage intake is also true for low-volume bowel cleansing solutions. The study appears in the August issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE).