Risk Factors of Inadequate Bowel Preparation for Screening Colonoscopy

A study on the related influencing factors of the quality of bowel preparation and the compliance of middle-aged and elderly patients for colonoscopy

OBJECTIVE

Quality of bowel preparation and patient compliance are among the most important indicators to assess the quality of colonoscopy. To investigate the independent factors associated with the quality of bowel preparation in subjects undergoing colonoscopy and its impact on compliance.

METHODS

A total of 329 patient records were collected and were divided into an adequate bowel preparation group (272 cases) and an inadequate bowel preparation group (57 cases), or a compliant group (260 cases) and a non-compliant group (69 cases), based on bowel preparation quality or compliance. The quality of bowel preparation is evaluated using the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale. The comfort level of subjects during bowel preparation is assessed using the Kolcaba General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ). Subjects' compliance was assessed according to a self-developed compliance questionnaire. Prediction analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with the quality of bowel preparation and compliance.

RESULTS

Age, bowel preparation duration, history of bowel inadequacy, and laxative dosage showed statistical differences between the adequate and inadequate bowel preparation groups (P < 0.05). Age, bowel preparation duration, and laxative dosage were independent influencing factors of bowel preparation quality. Correlation analysis showed that GCQ scores was significantly negatively correlated with age, bowel preparation duration, laxative dose, defecation frequency, and colonoscopy duration (r < 0, P < 0.05), and positively correlated with sleep duration (r > 0, P < 0.05). In addition, age, gender, bowel preparation duration, and laxative dosage showed statistical differences between the compliant and non-compliant groups (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that age, bowel preparation duration, and laxative dosage were independent influencing factors of bowel preparation compliance. Age and bowel preparation duration were independent influencing factors for bowel preparation adequacy and compliance.

CONCLUSIONS

Age, bowel preparation duration, and laxative dosage are independent influencing factors for bowel preparation adequacy and compliance among patients undergoing colonoscopy at the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University. It is recommended that a one-day low-residue diet combined with a 2000 mL laxative dosage be used as the bowel preparation protocol for the general colonoscopy population.

The Machine Learning Model for Predicting Inadequate Bowel Preparation Before Colonoscopy: A Multicenter Prospective Study

INTRODUCTION

Colonoscopy is a critical diagnostic tool for colorectal diseases; however, its effectiveness depends on adequate bowel preparation (BP). This study aimed to develop a machine learning predictive model based on Chinese adults for inadequate BP.

METHODS

A multicenter prospective study was conducted on adult outpatients undergoing colonoscopy from January 2021 to May 2023. Data on patient characteristics, comorbidities, medication use, and BP quality were collected. Logistic regression and 4 machine learning models (support vector machines, decision trees, extreme gradient boosting, and bidirectional projection network) were used to identify risk factors and predict inadequate BP.

RESULTS

Of 3,217 patients, 21.14% had inadequate BP. The decision trees model demonstrated the best predictive capacity with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.80 in the validation cohort. The risk factors at the nodes included body mass index, education grade, use of simethicone, diabetes, age, history of inadequate BP, and longer interval.

DISCUSSION

The decision trees model we created and the identified risk factors can be used to identify patients at higher risk of inadequate BP before colonoscopy, for whom more polyethylene glycol or auxiliary medication should be used.

Predictors of inadequate bowel preparation in older patients undergoing colonoscopy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Factors that predict the quality of bowel preparation in older adults are unclear, and current guidelines do not provide specific recommendations.

OBJECTIVE

This meta-analysis aimed to identify risk factors for inadequate bowel preparation in older patients.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, and VIP databases were searched from their inception to February 2023. Cohort and cross-sectional studies exploring the risk factors for inadequate bowel preparation were included in this systematic review. Odds ratio (OR) values from individual studies were pooled using fixed-effects and random-effects models. In addition, a sensitivity analysis and assessment of publication bias were performed.

RESULTS

This meta-analysis included six studies (n = 1553) on previous abdominal surgery, six studies (n = 1494) on constipation, seven studies (n = 1505) on diabetes, eight studies (n = 2093) on non-compliance with the diet regimen, seven studies (n = 1350) on incomplete intake of laxative, and nine studies (n = 2163) on inadequate exercise during preparation. The pooled analysis showed that history of abdominal surgery (OR = 2.72; 95 % confidence interval, CI: 2.07 to 3.56), constipation (OR = 3.56, 95 % CI: 2.41 to 5.25), diabetes (OR = 2.54, 95 % CI: 1.81 to 3.57), non-compliance with the diet regimen (OR = 2.51, 95 % CI: 1.96 to 3.21), incomplete intake of laxative (OR = 2.43, 95 % CI: 1.60 to 3.67), and inadequate exercise during preparation (OR = 3.13, 95 % CI: 2.39 to 4.11) were independent risk factors for inadequate bowel preparation in older patients undergoing colonoscopy.

CONCLUSIONS

Three comorbid factors and three behavioral factors were significantly associated with inadequate bowel preparation in older adults. This meta-analysis provides valuable information for developing predictive models of poor bowel preparation.

The effectiveness of walking exercise on the bowel preparation before colonoscopy: a single blind randomized clinical trial study

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Bowel preparation is a crucial factor affecting the diagnostic accuracy of colonoscopy, and few randomized control trials evaluated enhancement in bowel preparation. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of walking exercises on bowel preparation before a colonoscopy procedure.

METHODS

The present study is a single-blind randomized controlled trial involving 262 patients scheduled for colonoscopy procedures. These patients were randomly assigned to two groups: an intervention group (n = 131) and a control group (n = 131). In the intervention group, participants followed a predetermined plan that included the consumption of specific liquids and foods, bisacodyl pills, polyethylene glycol powder, and a regimen of walking exercises in preparation for their colonoscopy. Conversely, individuals in the control group followed the same regimen but were not instructed to engage in walking exercises. On the day of the colonoscopy, both groups were assessed for their level of physical activity using a foot counter. Additionally, an experienced gastroenterologist evaluated and compared the bowel preparation between the two groups using the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS).

RESULTS

The number of footsteps recorded in the two groups exhibited a significant difference (P < 0.001). Although there was no statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups in terms of mean BBPS scores (6.26 ± 1.9 vs. 6.29 ± 1.9, P = 0.416), individuals who took more than 6900 steps had significantly higher BBPS scores compared to those with fewer than 6900 footsteps (6.62 ± 1.8 vs. 5.92 ± 1.9, P = 0.003).In the univariate analysis, BBPS was found to be significantly associated with individuals under the age of 50 (OR: 2.45, 95% CI: 1.30-4.61, P = 0.006) and smoking status (OR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.17-0.94, P = 0.043). In the multivariate analysis, the relationship between BBPS and age below 50 and smoking remained significant (OR: 2.50, 95% CI: 1.30-4.70, P = 0.005, and OR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.16-0.93, P = 0.034, respectively).

CONCLUSION

A higher number of footsteps taken especially more than 6900 can significantly enhance bowel preparation; however, walking exercise as an intervention before colonoscopy is not significantly associated with BBPS. Also, older people and smokers seem to have fewer benefits from walking exercises for bowel preparation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ISRCTN32724024 (Registration date:22/08/2018).

Correlation between prescribing doctor attributes and intestinal cleanliness in colonoscopy: a study of 22522 patients

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to analyze the correlation between different attributes of doctors who prescribe colonoscopies and the cleanliness of the intestine to guide the development of colonoscopy application protocols.

METHODS

Data on colonoscopy cases conducted in the gastroenterology department of Hangzhou First People's Hospital between April 2018 and March 2021 were collected. The gender, age, professional attributes of the prescribing doctors, and Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) score were recorded. In addition, the correlation between the prescribing doctors' characteristics and the intestine's cleanliness was analyzed.

RESULTS

The study included 22,522 patients with a mean BBPS score of 6.83 ± 1.94. There were 16,459 male and 6,063 female doctors with similar BBPS scores (p = 0.212). The study found no significant difference in BBPS scores between 19,338 internist and 3,184 non-internist (p = 0.154). However, BBPS scores differed significantly between 18,168 gastroenterologists and 4,354 non-gastroenterologists (p = 0.016) and between 19,990 intestinal-related specialties(gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery) and 2,532 non-intestinal-related specialties (p = 0.000). In addition, BBPS scores were significantly different between 18,126 prescribing endoscopiests and 4,396 non-endoscopiests (p = 0.014). However, there was no significant difference in BBPS scores among doctors of different ages (p = 0.190). The study found significant differences in BBPS scores between male and female patients and those under or over 40 years (p = 0.000).

CONCLUSION

To improve colonoscopy preparation quality, priority should be given to doctors in gastroenterology, intestinal-related specialties, and endoscopiests. Their expertise may result in better education and improved bowel cleanliness.

A Systematic Review of Exercise Therapy for Bowel Preparation: Evidence to Guide Practice

This systematic review aims to evaluate (1) the effectiveness of exercise therapy in bowel preparation for colonoscopy, and (2) the characteristics of exercise programs for bowel preparation. Systematic searches were done in PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CINAHL from inception to November 2022. Randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies assessing the efficacy of exercise during bowel preparation were included in this review. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality using a modified Downs and Black checklist. A narrative synthesis was conducted. A total of five studies (1,109 participants) were included in this review. In all eligible studies, the characteristics of the exercise programs varied and included mainly two types of exercise (walking and yoga), various amount of exercise (3,000-10,000 steps or 0.5-1.9 hours), and two exercise timing (during and 1 hour after taking the laxative). Available evidence indicated that exercise therapy is effective in improving the quality of bowel preparation. However, there was insufficient high-quality evidence to conclude the effects on procedure-related indicators, adverse events, and willingness to repeat preparation. Exercise should be recommended as an important part of routine bowel preparation for patients undergoing colonoscopy to improve the quality of bowel preparation. More rigorous studies focusing on the effects on procedure-related indicators, adverse events, and willingness to repeat preparation are needed. To ensure the effectiveness and safety of the intervention, it is critical to establish a standard, well-structured exercise program for bowel preparation.

Visualization analysis of research on pre-colonoscopy bowel preparation

BACKGROUND

Bowel preparation is an essential step before colonoscopy, and its research topics are relatively scattered. Understanding the research status and development trend of bowel preparation is of great value for disease research and actual clinical work. However, there is currently a lack of research in this field in the form of bibliometrics.

AIM

To understand the research hotspots and development trends of bowel preparation during colonoscopy around the world.

METHODS

The literature about the topics of bowel preparation was retrieved from the CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and Web of Science core datasets from the inception of the database to September 10, 2022. CiteSpace 6.1. R3 was used to visually analyze the annual number of publications, countries, institutions, authors, keywords, clusters, and co-citation literature.

RESULTS

A total of 2340 Chinese and 2574 English publications were included, and the number of annual publications showed an increasing trend from year to year. The author with the largest number of publications worldwide was Hassan Cesare, and the most productive countries included USA, Korea, UK, Italy, and China. Meng Xiao-Fen, Zhang Yuan-Yuan, and Niu Mei-E were the China's most prolific authors. The First Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou University, the General Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an University were the most prolific institutions. Research hotspots focused on the quality of bowel preparation, the design of bowel preparation programs, and special groups for bowel preparation.

CONCLUSION

Studies related to bowel preparation have certain foundations, and China's research can follow international hotspots, but cooperation among countries still needs to be strengthened. We should expand the research output related to bowel preparation based on a broader population and more suitable for the development of the era of big data, to provide higher quality research evidence for clinical practice.

Colonic bowel prep and body mass index: does one size fit all? A multi-centre review

PURPOSE

To investigate whether body mass index (BMI) is a risk factor for inadequate bowel preparation in elective colonoscopy. The null hypothesis being BMI does not affect bowel preparation adequacy.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study of all participants with complete medical records who had an elective colonoscopy was conducted across three tertiary teaching hospitals in Perth, Western Australia, from January 2016 to July 2019. Participants were separated into BMI subgroups of healthy weight, overweight and obese (≥ 30 kg/m²). Data were extracted from medical records, colonoscopy and histopathology reports and were analysed using SPSS v.27.

RESULTS

Of the 1082 cases analysed, 52.7% (n = 570) were male. The median age was 61 (range 18-85 years). The median BMI was 27.8 (range 20-52). The median procedure time is 28 (range 2-69 min). Routine follow-up was the clinical indication for 65% of colonoscopy procedures undertaken during the study period. Multivariate logistic regression, controlled for statistically insignificant confounders of age, type of bowel preparation agent, grade of the endoscopist, the indication for procedure and year of procedure, showed that being obese was significantly and independently associated with inadequate bowel preparation (OR 2.0, 95% CI (1.4-2.9) p < 0.001). Another significant factor was male (OR 1.6, 95% CI (1.2-2.1) p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

This study shows that obese patients are more likely to have inadequate bowel preparation at colonoscopy. Given the increased complication rates and health care costs associated with repeating colonoscopies and the increased risk of colorectal cancer in obese patients, it may be worth tailoring a more extensive bowel preparation regimen to ensure adequate visualisation of the colonic mucosa on the first attempt.

Comparison of Two Types of 1-L Polyethylene Glycol-ascorbic Acid as Colonoscopic Bowel Preparation: A Prospective Randomized Study

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Recently, 1-L polyethylene glycol-ascorbic acid (PEG-Asc) has been used to reduce the volume of preparation agents in colonoscopy. This clinical trial aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of two types of 1-L PEG-Asc (CleanViewAL^® [Tae Joon Pharmaceutical Company, Seoul, Korea] and Plenvu^® [Norgine, Harefield, United Kingdom]) in average-aged adults.

METHODS

This study was a prospective, randomized, non-inferiority, open-label, phase 4 clinical trial. The primary endpoint was the efficacy evaluated using the Boston bowel preparation scale (BBPS), and the secondary endpoint was clinical safety.

RESULTS

In total, 173 patients were assigned to either the CleanViewAL^® (n=84) or Plenvu^® (n=89) group. Overall cleansing successes of 97.6% (82/84) and 98.8% (88/89) were achieved in the CleanViewAL^® group and in the Plenvu^® group, respectively, showing that CleanViewAL^® has similar bowel cleansing efficacy to Plenvu^® (95% CI, -0.052 to 0.027; p=0.207). The total BBPS score was 8.67±1.00 and 8.70±0.76 in the CleanViewAL^® group and Plenvu^® group, respectively (p=0.869). The most common adverse symptom was nausea, and no adverse symptoms requiring hospitalization were reported in either group. There were no cases of critical hypernatremia and liver dysfunction exceeding the common terminology criteria for adverse events grade I. An overall satisfaction score (scale of 1 to 10) showed no difference between the two groups (p=0.289). However, the CleanViewAL^® group showed a higher taste satisfaction score (scale of 1 to 5) than the Plenvu^® group (CleanViewAL^®: 2.90±0.91, Plenvu^®: 2.60±0.86, p=0.028).

CONCLUSIONS

Both types of 1-L PEG-Asc, CleanViewAL^® and Plenvu^®, are effective and safe bowel cleansing agents in average-aged adults. CleanViewAL^® was preferred in terms of taste satisfaction.