Preparation of the bowel before elective surgery using a polyethylene glycol solution at home and in hospital compared with conventional preparation using magnesium sulphate.

Bowel preparation by conventional methods is time-consuming and unpleasant for both patient and staff. In addition, it requires admission to hospital several days before surgery. Preparation using oral polyethylene glycol solution is more acceptable and can easily be adapted so that the patient can perform the procedure at home before admission to hospital. In a prospective series we have compared the efficacy of preparation at home using polyethylene glycol with similar preparation in hospital and with a standard bowel preparation based on magnesium sulphate. Preparation was better after polyethylene glycol and this was significant when performed at home (P less than 0.01). There was no effect on either electrolytes or haematological parameters, but polyethylene glycol did result in a rise in the number of colonic Streptococcus faecalis seen. This rise was not seen with magnesium sulphate (P less than 0.001).