Right lateral position improves complete examination rate of capsule endoscope: a prospective randomized, controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
In 20% of patients, capsule endoscopes fail to reach the cecum within the 8-hour battery life. This is the most common cause of incomplete small-bowel examination. The aim of this study was to determine whether keeping patients in the right lateral position (RLP) improves the complete examination rate (CER) of the small bowel by reducing the gastric transit time (GTT) of the capsule.


METHODS
Patients were randomized into the RLP group (n = 30) or control group (n = 30). Patients in the RLP group were instructed to lie on their right side postingestion until the capsule had passed through the pylorus. The patients in the control group were free to walk or sit (upright position). The main outcomes were the CER and GTT between the groups.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference in the sex, mean age, and indications between the two groups. The CER was significantly higher in the RLP group than in the controls (96.7% vs. 73.3%, P = 0.030). GTT was significantly shorter in the RLP group than in the control group (medians [range]: 32 [8-108] vs. 58 [9-208] minutes, P = 0.007). Small-bowel imaging time was significantly longer in the RLP group than in the control group (372 [135-425] vs. 292 [146-422] minutes, P = 0.039). There were no significant differences in the diagnostic yields between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Placing patients in the RLP after ingestion of the capsule endoscope and before the capsule enters the pylorus is a simple method to increase the CER of the small bowel by reducing the GTT of the capsule.
Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Endoscopy Center, Changhai Hospital, The Second Military Medicine University, Shanghai, China.
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D053705:Capsule Endoscopes; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011187:Posture; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity