title: Optimizing bowel cleansing for colonoscopy.
abstract: Adequate bowel cleansing is essential for complete examination of the colon mucosa during colonoscopy. Suboptimal bowel preparation has potential adverse consequences, such as missed pathologic abnormalities, the need for repeated procedures, and increased procedure-related complications. Several factors can predict individuals at increased risk for inadequate bowel preparation. If predictors of inadequate bowel preparation are identified, then education should be intensified and a more aggressive bowel regimen recommended. On completion of this article, you should be able to (1) define the frequency of inadequate colon preparations, (2) identify predictors of poor bowel preparation, and (3) use a more aggressive bowel regimen when clinically indicated.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN. Electronic address: sweetser.seth@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Seth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sweetser
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: Todd H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Baron
mesh_terms: D002400:Cathartics; D003113:Colonoscopy; D006801:Humans; D011300:Preoperative Care
chemical_list: D002400:Cathartics