BOWEL PREPARATION

Course overview

CLINICIANS CAN USE A RANGE OF METHODS TO PREPARE THE BOWEL FOR COLONOSCOPY, THE GOLD STANDARD FOR IMAGING THE MUCOSA OF THE COLON TO IDENTIFY CONCERNING LESIONS REQUIRING EXCISION OR BIOPSY. INCOMPLETE COLONOSCOPIES ARE DEFINED BY THE INABILITY TO ACHIEVE EFFECTIVE CECAL INTUBATION AND MUCOSAL VISUALIZATION. THEY OCCUR IN BETWEEN 10 AND 20 PERCENT OF ALL COLONOSCOPIES AND FREQUENTLY ARE DUE TO INADEQUATE BOWEL PREPARATION. STUDIES HAVE FOUND THAT INADEQUATE BOWEL PREPARATION CAN LEAD TO FAILED DETECTION OF CANCEROUS LESIONS AND IS ASSOCIATED WITH AN INCREASED RISK OF PROCEDURAL ADVERSE EVENTS. IDEAL PREPARATION REDUCES PATIENT DISCOMFORT AND REDUCES SHIFTS IN FLUID AND ELECTROLYTES. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, AND TECHNIQUES INVOLVED IN PERFORMING EFFECTIVE BOWEL PREPARATION AND HIGHLIGHTS THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM'S ROLE IN THE CARE OF PATIENTS UNDERGOING THIS PROCEDURE.