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Title: Phosphate Tablets Better for Pre-Colonoscopy Colon Cleansing

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Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, 2001; 54: 705-713.
12/14/2001 08:03:00 AM
By Elda Hauschildt

Sodium phosphate tablets produce pre-colonoscopy colon cleansing equivalent to that attained with polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution. Gastrointestinal (GI) patients tolerate the tablets better than the PEG solution and show fewer GI side effects, United States researchers report. Colonoscopy is a principal method of diagnosis, treatment and follow-up for a number of gastrointestinal diseases, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). "Liquid purgatives for cleansing before colonoscopy often are poorly tolerated," say the investigators. They performed two identically designed, randomised, investigator-blinded trials with 845 participants to test the overall quality of colon cleansing and patient tolerance. They recorded adverse effects and changes in biochemical tests, electrocardiograms and vital signs. A total of 420 patients were assigned to the tablets while 425 took a PEG solution. "Overall cleansing was excellent or good in 84.3 percent of patients in the tablet group and in 76.7 percent in the PEG group," the researchers say. "Patient compliance was greater in the tablet group. "There were also significantly fewer GI side effects in this group." This work was done by investigators from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; the Maryland Digestive Centre in Laurel; Associated Gastroenterology Medical Group in Anaheim, California; the University of Colorado in Denver; Cleveland Clinic Florida in Fort Lauderdale and the Mid-South Clinical Research Institute in Memphis, Tennessee.

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