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Low-residue diet before colonoscopy better tolerated by patients than clear liquid diet
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Patients were more willing to repeat bowel preparation after consuming a low-residue diet compared with a clear-liquid diet the day before a colonoscopy, according to the results of a meta-analysis. The low-residue diet was also better tolerated by patients with no significant difference in adverse events or bowel preparation quality.
A low-residue diet (LRD) “on the day before colonoscopy seems to be as effective for quality of bowel preparation but demonstrates higher patient tolerability and willingness to repeat bowel preparation. This suggests that a [clear-liquid diet] before colonoscopy should be replaced with an LRD,” Matthew L. Bechtold MD, FASGE, FACG, of the department of gastroenterology and hepatology at University of Missouri-Columbia, and colleagues wrote.
Matthew L. Bechtold
The researchers conducted a meta-analysis of nine randomized controlled trials, which comprised 1,686 adult patients. The studies were compiled from a search of Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE, and Cochrane databases, and CINAHL in February 2015.
All of the studies involved comparisons between patients prescribed an LRD or a clear-liquid diet (CLD) the day before undergoing colonoscopy screening.
Patient tolerability of bowel preparation and their prescribed diet was observed in five of the nine studies, which included 864 patient cases. Tolerability was significantly higher in patients on an LRD compared with a CLD (OR = 1.92; 95% CI, 1.36-2.7).
Willingness to repeat preparation (examined in four of the nine studies with 800 patient cases) was also significantly higher in the patients consuming an LRD (OR = 1.86; 95% CI, 1.34-2.59).
There were no significant differences in overall adequate bowel preparations (OR = 1.21; 95% CI, 0.64-2.28) or adverse events (OR = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.58-1.35) between LRD and CLD.
“This meta-analysis suggests replacing the CLD before colonoscopy with an LRD in an effort to enhance patient tolerability and willingness to undergo the preparation without sacrificing the quality of bowel preparation,” the researchers wrote. “This finding suggests that patients were more likely to comply with given bowel preparation instructions when they were allowed to liberalize their diets beyond a CLD.” – by Suzanne Reist
Disclosures: Bechtold reports a consultant role with Nestle Nutrition Institute.
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