Leung Felix W, Leung Joseph W, Mann Surinder K, Friedland Shai, Ramirez Francisco C, Olafsson Snorri
The Research and Medical Services, Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA.
J Interv Gastroenterol. 2011 Apr;1(2):78-82. doi: 10.4161/jig.1.2.16830.
Pain limits the success of cecal intubation in unsedated patient. Carbon dioxide infusion instead of air insufflation and water infusion as an adjunction to air insufflation have both been investigated as modalities to minimize pain associated with colonoscopy. Multiple RCT support an effect of carbon dioxide in reducing pain after colonoscopy. A modern method of water infusion as the sole modality for aiding colonoscope insertion has been shown to reduce pain during and after colonoscopy. Favorable effects in reducing discomfort have been documented in both sedated and unsedated patients. Because of the need to perform water exchange in the patients with suboptimal bowel perparation, a serendipitous consequence of salvage cleansing is evident with application of the water method. The associated increase in adenoma detection especially in the proximal colon is most intriguing. The hypothesis that the water method during insertion combined with carbon dioxide insufflation during withdrawal will optimally decrease colonoscopy pain should be evaluated. The implications of increased adenoma detection by the water method also deserve to be studied.
