title: [Single-contrast enema after colon lavage in the elderly patient].
abstract: Double-contrast enema is often unsuccessful in elderly patients because of their poor cooperation and colon cleaning. This work was aimed at showing that a well-done single-contrast exam with simple colon lavage can make a very good alternative to double-contrast enema in elderly patients. Thus, 66 consecutive elderly patients (age range: 70-90 years) were submitted, over a 6-month period (June-December, 1994), to single-contrast enema, after colon cleaning with oral whole-gut lavage, using an osmotically balanced electrolyte solution (Isocolan, Bracco) containing polyethylenglycol (PEG 4000). We examined, in each patient: a) the tolerance to and effectiveness of bowel cleaning, according to the liquid volume drunk by each subject, needed to obtain clear diarrhea; b) radiograph quality. Successful colon cleaning was achieved with a mean (2.5-3 liters) and a large (3.5-4 liters) amount of solution, in 80% and 20% of our patients, respectively. Tolerance was good in the whole series except for 3 patients with emesis. Moreover, radiograph quality was good in 85% of the subjects. Finally, barium enema results, compared with endoscopic results, yielded 27 true positives, 3 false negatives (small neoplastic lesions) and 1 false positive. Therefore, in our opinion, these results confirm the role of single-contrast enema, combined with gut lavage, in elderly patients.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Radiologia, Università degli Studi, Genova.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Battolla
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Catterina
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Cavalleri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grasso
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casiglia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giannoni
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: De Cata
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003287:Contrast Media; D004573:Electrolytes; D004733:Enema / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011859:Radiography; D012996:Solutions; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D004573:Electrolytes; C033608:Golytely; D012996:Solutions; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols
vernacular_title: Il clisma monocontrasto previo lavaggio del colon nel paziente anziano.