title: Simethicone adjunct to polyethylene glycol improves small bowel capsule endoscopy imaging in non-Crohn's disease patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Currently, there is no standardized protocol for bowel preparation before small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE). This study aimed to investigate the effect of simethicone combined with polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the visualization quality (VQ) of the SBCE in patients with or without known or suspected Crohn's disease (CD).
  
  
  METHODS
  This observational, prospective, single-center study included consecutive patients undergoing a SBCE between 2007 and 2008. Patients received either a standard bowel cleansing preparation of 2 L PEG and 80 mg simethicone orally 12 and 1 h before SBCE respectively (Group A) or only PEG (Group B). VQ, based on scores for luminal bubbles in frames taken from the small intestine, examination completeness, SBCE diagnostic yield, gastric and small bowel transit times were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 115 patients finally included (Group A, n=56 and Group B, n=59) the cecum was visualized in 103 (89.6%). Simethicone overall improved the VQ in the proximal [OR: 2.43 (95%CI: 1.08-5.45), P=0.032] but not in the distal bowel segment (P=0.064). Nevertheless, this effect was not observed in patients undergoing SBCE for either known or suspected CD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Simethicone as an adjunct to PEG for bowel preparation in patients undergoing SBCE significantly improved the VQ in non-CD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Evaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Papamichael
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Evaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Pantelis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karatzas
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Evaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Theodoropoulos
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Evaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kyriakos
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Evaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Archavlis
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Evaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Gerasimos J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Mantzaris
keywords: Crohn’s disease; Small bowel capsule endoscopy; simethicone; visualization quality