ScotCap Clinical Leads Collaboration. Follow-up of small and diminutive colonic polyps-How to balance the risks in the COVID-19 era

An evaluation of a novel bowel preparation regimen and its effect on the utility of colon capsule endoscopy: a prospective cohort study with historical controls

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a novel bowel preparation and booster regimen for colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) using macrogol, phospho-soda and gastrografin, compared with a control regimen consisting of polyethylene glycol and sodium picosulfate.

METHODS

This was a prospective cohort study using historical controls. Symptomatic patients undergoing CCE between 11/07/2021 and 21/12/2021 using the novel regimen were included. Symptomatic patients who underwent CCE in the ScotCap evaluation using the control regimen were used as historical controls. We measured the rate of complete test (visualisation of the whole colon and rectum), adequate bowel preparation, successful test (complete and adequate bowel preparation) and need for further test following CCE. The rate of adverse events was also collected.

RESULTS

Patients undergoing CCE using the new and control regimen were 200 and 316, respectively. The median age, age range and proportion of female patients in the new and control regimen cohorts was 61 vs 60 years, 16-86 vs 20-83 years, and 60.5% vs 56.6%. The rate of complete test, adequate bowel reparation and successful test for the new and control regimen was 69% vs 72.2%, 86.6% vs 80.7% and 60.5% vs 65.8%. Comparing the new and control regimen, 39.5% vs 37.3% of patients required no test following CCE, 26% vs 32.6% required a colonoscopy, 31.5% vs 21.5% required a flexible sigmoidoscopy and 3% vs 2.9% required a computed tomography colonogram. No adverse events were reported using the new regimen compared to 2 (0.6%) in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

The rate of adequate bowel preparation has improved following the introduction of a new regimen. However, further work is needed to increase the complete test rate. A significant proportion of patients continue to avoid colonoscopy following CCE.

Comment on “Artificial intelligence in gastroenterology: A state-of-the-art review”

Colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) was introduced nearly two decades ago. Initially, it was limited by poor image quality and short battery time, but due to technical improvements, it has become an equal diagnostic alternative to optical colonoscopy (OC). Hastened by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, CCE has been introduced in clinical practice to relieve overburdened endoscopy units and move investigations to out-patient clinics. A wider adoption of CCE would be bolstered by positive patient experience, as it offers a diagnostic investigation that is not inferior to other modalities. The shortcomings of CCE include its inability to differentiate adenomatous polyps from hyperplastic polyps. Solving this issue would improve the stratification of patients for polyp removal. Artificial intelligence (AI) has shown promising results in polyp detection and characterization to minimize incomplete CCEs and avoid needless examinations. Onboard AI appears to be a needed application to enable near-real-time decision-making in order to diminish patient waiting times and avoid superfluous subsequent OCs. With this letter, we discuss the potential and role of AI in CCE as a diagnostic tool for the large bowel.