Complications of colonoscopy in a large public county hospital in Greece. A 10-year study.
OBJECTIVE
Information about the complications of colonoscopy in Southern Europe is limited, particularly in Greece where it is non-existent. Our study sought to determine the complications of colonoscopy in a large public county hospital in Greece over a 10-year period.


METHODS
All colonoscopy procedures from 1996 to 2006 were entered into a database. Data were analysed by both univariate and multivariate methods.


RESULTS
Nine thousand six hundred forty-eight colonoscopies were entered into a database. The procedures were diagnostic in 79% and therapeutic in 21%. Overall bleeding complications occurred in 83 out of the 9648 patients (0.8%: 95% confidence interval [0.7%, 0.9%]). Perforation occurred in four female patients (0.04%: 95% confidence interval [0.01%, 0.07%]) in the sigmoid colon. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis in the therapeutic colonoscopies revealed that presence of significant polyps (odds ratio 4.7, confidence interval [2.9-7.6]), the male sex (odds ratio 2, 95% confidence interval [1.2-3.3]) and the time period of the procedure (the first 5 years) (odds ratio 1.7, 95% confidence interval [1.01-3]), are significant predictors of a post-colonoscopy bleeding episode.


CONCLUSIONS
This historical cohort study, the first in Greece on this subject, shows that colonoscopy is a rather safe procedure and that the rate of complications in this study was low.
Paspatis
G A
GA
Department of Gastroenterology, Benizelion General Hospital, L. Knossou, Heraklion, Crete, Greece. paspati@admin.teiher.gr
Vardas
E
E
Theodoropoulou
A
A
Manolaraki
M M
MM
Charoniti
I
I
Papanikolaou
N
N
Chroniaris
N
N
Chlouverakis
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006766:Hospitals, County; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult