The palatability of five colonic lavage solutions.
BACKGROUND
Many patients dislike the taste and saltiness of polyethylene glycol-electrolyte colonic lavage solutions. Several commercially available lavage solutions have been introduced with reduced salt content or flavouring added in an attempt to improve palatability and to encourage patient compliance.


OBJECTIVE
To determine which of the commercially available lavage solutions are the most palatable.


METHODS
A taste test of the five commercially available lavage solutions was performed by two groups of subjects: (a) adult patients scheduled to undergo colonoscopy (n = 50) and (b) adult family members of patients scheduled to undergo colonoscopy and hospital volunteers (n = 50). Subjects sampled all five products and were asked to grade the taste and saltiness, and to rank them in their overall order of preference.


RESULTS
Similar findings were observed in the two groups of subjects. Colyte-Flavored, Cherry-NuLytely, NuLytely and GoLytely had similar median taste scores and a similar frequency of taste scores labelled as 'unacceptable' (8-11%); these four products ranked ahead of plain Colyte (which had a 25% frequency of taste scores labelled as 'unacceptable'). However, in the ranking phase of the study, about three-quarters of the subjects preferred a flavoured lavage solution to an unflavoured one. Colyte-Flavored and Cherry-NuLytely rated almost equal. Twenty-two per cent of subjects rated an unflavoured lavage solution (generally NuLytely or GoLytely) as their first choice. This included a subset of subjects who disliked the flavoured solutions and greatly preferred an unflavoured product.


CONCLUSIONS
Four of the five commercially available products studied received similar taste scores. However, in the direct comparison phase of the study, a majority of subjects expressed a preference for a flavoured lavage solution. On the other hand, about one in five subjects expressed a dislike for the available flavoured solutions and preferred an unflavoured one.
Division of Gastroenterology, University of Missouri Hospital and Clinics, Columbia, USA.
F H
FH
Diab
J B
JB
Marshall
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003625:Data Collection; D004573:Electrolytes; D005260:Female; D005421:Flavoring Agents; D005751:Gastric Lavage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000378:metabolism*; D012996:Solutions / Q000592:standards*; D013649:Taste
D004573:Electrolytes; D005421:Flavoring Agents; D012996:Solutions; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols