Colonoscopy prep may improve with some solid foods

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-05/ddw-cpm051716.php

Public Release: 23-May-2016
Colonoscopy prep may improve with some solid foods
'Low-residue' diet yields better bowel preparation, higher patient satisfaction
Digestive Disease Week

There's good news for patients who dread the clear-liquid diet before a colonoscopy. A new study finds that patients who ate certain solid foods, considered "low residue," were better prepared for their colonoscopies than individuals who followed the conventional liquid diet. Additionally, researchers saw that these patients who ate foods such as eggs, white bread, cheese, white rice and chicken breast the day before their screening were more comfortable during the 24 hours leading up to the test than individuals who could only have apple juice, chicken broth, coffee and similar clear liquids.

•••••

In this study, the clear-liquid diet group could drink only broth, black coffee, tea and other clear liquids. The low-residue diet group was allowed small portions of protein, carbohydrate and fat at three meals. For their day-before diet, LRD patients could choose from foods such as eggs, yogurt, certain cheeses, breads, butter, rice, lunch meat, chicken breast and ice cream. Both groups then drank standard bowel-cleansing liquid on the night before and the morning of the procedure.

•••••

With the low-residue diet group, researchers found a "significantly higher" number of adequate bowel preparations, the cleansing process that is critical to the timely, successful completion of the procedure. This group also expressed a considerably higher satisfaction level for the diet -- 97 percent -- compared to the clear-liquid diet group's 46 percent. In addition, the individuals on the low-residue diet reported "significantly lower" hunger scores on the evening of the prep process, as well as lower fatigue scores on the morning after.

Dr. Samarasena said the low-residue diet contains foods that easily liquefy and do not interfere with the colonoscopy procedure. Researchers also hypothesize that solid foods stimulate bowel movements before the purgative, making the final cleansing process easier. Dr. Samarasena said researchers think the solid foods in the low-residue diet gave patients a higher energy level, possibly making them more tolerant of the entire process. Patients on clear-liquid diet often miss a day of work because of the "fasting" requirement, while the low-residue diet may enable patients to carry on more normal activities since their diets the day before the colonoscopy are less drastic, he added.

•••••