title: Picoprep-3 is a superior colonoscopy preparation to Fleet: a randomized, controlled trial comparing the two bowel preparations.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: St George Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Liu-Ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Dayashan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Perera
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D002400:Cathartics; D002951:Citrates; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D010710:Phosphates; D010847:Picolines; C005701:picosulfate sodium; C018279:sodium phosphate