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. 2018 Jun;25(4):166-174.
doi: 10.1159/000484093. Epub 2017 Nov 16.

Can Water Exchange Improve Patient Tolerance in Unsedated Colonoscopy A Prospective Comparative Study

Richard Azevedo  1 , Cátia Leitão  1 , João Pinto  1 , Helena Ribeiro  1 , Flávio Pereira  1 , Ana Caldeira  1 , António Banhudo  1
Affiliations

Can Water Exchange Improve Patient Tolerance in Unsedated Colonoscopy A Prospective Comparative Study

Richard Azevedo et al. GE Port J Gastroenterol. 2018 Jun.

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

Background & aims: Unsedated colonoscopy can be painful, poorly tolerated by patients, and associated with unsatisfactory technical performance. Previous studies report an advantage of water exchange over conventional air insufflation in reducing pain during unsedated colonoscopy. Our goal was to analyze the impact of water exchange colonoscopy on the level of maximum pain reported by patients submitted to unsedated colonoscopy, compared to conventional air insufflation.

Methods: We performed a single-center, patient-blinded, prospective randomized comparative study, where patients were either allocated to the water group, in which the method of colonoscopy used was water exchange, or the standard air group, in which the examination was accomplished with air insufflation.

Results: A total of 141 patients were randomized, 70 to the water and 71 to the air group. The maximum level of pain reported by patients during unsedated colonoscopy, measured by a numeric scale of pain (0-10), was significantly lower in the water group (3.39 ± 2.32), compared to the air group (4.94 ± 2.10), p < 0.001. The rate of painless colonoscopy was significantly higher in the water group (12.9 vs. 1.4%, p = 0.009). There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding indications for the procedure, quality of bowel preparation, cecal intubation time, withdrawal time, number of position changes, adenoma detection rate, and postprocedural complications. Only the number of abdominal compressions was significantly different, showing that water exchange decreases the number of compressions needed during colonoscopy.

Conclusions: Water exchange was a safe and equally effective alternative to conventional unsedated colonoscopy, associated with less intraprocedural pain without impairing key performance measures.

Introdução e objectivos: A colonoscopia sem sedação pode constituir um procedimento doloroso e mal tolerado pelo doente, associando-se a um desempenho técnico subóptimo. Vários estudos demonstraram o benefício do método de troca de água, comparativamente à colonoscopia convencional com insuflação de ar, na redução do nível de dor na colonoscopia sem sedação. O objectivo deste trabalho foi analisar o impacto do método de troca de água no nível máximo de dor referido pelos doentes submetidos a colonoscopia sem sedação, comparativamente à colonoscopia convencional com ar.

Métodos: Estudo comparativo unicêntrico, prospectivo e randomizado, cego para o doente, no qual os doentes foram alocados ao grupo água, no qual se utilizou o método de troca de água, ou ao grupo ar, no qual se utilizou a insuflação de ar.

Resultados: Foram randomizados 141 doentes, 70 no grupo água e 71 no grupo ar. O nível máximo de dor referido pelos doentes submetidos a colonoscopia sem sedação, avaliado através de uma escala numérica de dor (0–10), foi significativamente inferior no grupo água (3.39 ± 2.32), comparativamente ao grupo ar (4.94 ± 2.10), p < 0.001. A taxa de colonoscopia indolor foi significativamente superior no grupo água (12.9 vs. 1.4%, p = 0.009). Não se verificam diferenças significativas entre os dois grupos relativamente à indicação do exame, qualidade da preparação intestinal, tempo de entubação cecal, tempo de retirada, número de mudanças de posição, taxa de detecção de adenomas, assim como complicações no pósprocedimento. Apenas o número de compressões abdominais foi significativamente diferente, verificando-se que o método de troca de água reduziu o número necessário durante a colonoscopia.

Conclusões: O método de troca de água é seguro e constitui uma alternativa igualmente eficaz à colonoscopia convencional sem sedação, associando-se a uma menor dor durante o procedimento, sem comprometer as medidas de desempenho na colonoscopia.

Keywords: Air insufflation; Colonoscopy; Pain; Sedation; Water exchange.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study flow diagram.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Patient assessment of pain (median, interquartile range, range).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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