Split-dose Versus Single-dose Polyethylene Glycol Regimen for Capsule Endoscopy

Split-dose Versus Single-dose Polyethylene Glycol Regimen for Capsule Endoscopy Is Timing of Preparation for Capsule Endoscopy the Key for the Best Small-bowel Cleansing?

To compare the small bowel cleanliness for wireless capsule endoscopy using two different Polyethylene Glycol administration schedules (before the wireless capsule endoscopy ingestion versus in a split-dose fashion).

The image quality obtained from the wireless capsule endoscopy improves its diagnostic yield. The amount of visualized mucosa is in direct correlation with the diagnostic yield. Nonetheless, frequently, the quality of the image obtained is hampered by the presence of bubbles, debris, bile and enteric fluid. Therefore many efforts have been putted in order to eliminate this factor such as the use of prokinetics, simethicone and bowel purgatives. The latter (namely the polyethylene glycol - PEG - solution) has accumulated evidence and is, therefore, recommended by the last European guidelines. Usually, the cleansing starts and finish in the day before the capsule endoscopy ingestion.

We hypothesized that, similarly to what had become evidence to large bowel cleansing, a shorter gap between the polyethylene glycol intake and the exam could provide a better capsule endoscopy image quality and therefore gauging our diagnostic yield.

Inclusion Criteria:

• All adult patients referred to our institution for CE during the study period

Exclusion Criteria:

• inpatients, bedridden, patients with clinical evidence of active bleeding, past history of abdominal surgery, abdominal or pelvic radiation therapy, occlusion, bowel perforation (suspected or confirmed), use of oral iron replacement therapy, severe cardiopulmonary, renal or hepatic disease, pregnancy, hypersensitivity to any components of the preparation, patients that didn't complete the preparation protocol, patients with incomplete enteroscopies (a complete enteroscopy is defined by the visualization of the mucosa from the duodenal bulb to the cecum), patients enrolled in other clinical studies and patients who didn't signed informed consent.