Picoprep-3 is a superior colonoscopy preparation to Fleet: a randomized, controlled trial comparing the two bowel preparations.
OBJECTIVE
Bowel preparations for colonoscopy have to balance the demand for adequate cleansing action of the bowel and patient acceptability. There has been no study comparing Picoprep-3 (sodium picosulfate), a relatively new product, to Fleet (sodium phosphate), a well-studied and widely used preparation. This study was designed to compare the efficacy and patient tolerance of these two bowel preparations for colonoscopy.


METHODS
A randomized, single-blinded, prospective trial was conducted. A total of 400 consecutive patients presenting for elective colonoscopy at St George Private Hospital during a 20-week period were randomly assigned to receive Picoprep-3 or Fleet. Patients were asked to record the effects of the preparation, noting tolerability, taste, and side effects. Two hundred patients were assigned to the Picoprep-3 group and 200 to the Fleet group. Surgeons were blinded to the preparation used and rated the quality of the bowel preparation on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being the optimal score).


RESULTS
Picoprep-3 was found to be better tolerated (P < 0.0001) and better tasting (P < 0.0001) than Fleet. Patients in the Picoprep-3 group reported significantly less nausea (P < 0.001), vomiting (P < 0.004), dizziness (P < 0.01), abdominal pains (P = 0.0005), and thirst (P < 0.0001) associated with the preparation. There was no significant difference in visualization of the colon between the two groups as judged by the two colonoscopists (P = 0.06).


CONCLUSIONS
Colonoscopy preparation with Picoprep-3 has similar efficacy but superior taste and tolerability compared with Fleet. Picoprep-3 caused less adverse side effects in the study population.
Schmidt
Liu-Ming
LM
St George Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Williams
Pamela
P
King
Denis
D
Perera
Dayashan
D
D002400:Cathartics / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002951:Citrates; D003106:Colon; D003113:Colonoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010710:Phosphates / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010847:Picolines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012007:Rectum; D016037:Single-Blind Method
D002400:Cathartics; D002951:Citrates; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D010710:Phosphates; D010847:Picolines; C005701:picosulfate sodium; C018279:sodium phosphate