Water Exchange Versus Carbon Dioxide for Colonoscopy

Sorlandet Hospital HF

Status: Completed

Conditions: Colorectal Polyps; Pain; Colorectal Adenomas; Colorectal Cancer

Treatments: Other: Water exchange colonoscopy; Other: Carbon dioxide insufflation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01633333

WMCO2_KG

Details and patient eligibility

About

Colonoscopy is commonly used in screening for colorectal cancer. A refined technique of colonoscopy involving the use of water as the sole modality to aid colonoscope insertion, water exchange, has been described in recent research papers to decrease patient discomfort and pain, and to reduce the need for sedation during colonoscopy when compared with standard air insufflation. Carbon dioxide insufflation has been described to decrease patient discomfort after colonoscopy. No randomized trial has so far compared the use of water exchange to carbon dioxide insufflation. Our hypothesis is that water exchange inflicts less discomfort to patients undergoing colonoscopy than carbon dioxide insufflation. Patients undergoing screening colonoscopy in two centers in Norway, one center in Poland and one center in The Netherlands will be enrolled and randomized to examination of either of the two methods.

Full description

Single blinded randomized controlled trial.

Enrollment: 473 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 50 to 80 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients scheduled for screening or polyp surveillance colonoscopy
• Patients accepting sedation on demand

Exclusion criteria

• Demand for sedation/analgesia before the start of the procedure
• Previous partial or total colonic resection
• Pregnancy
• Unwilling/unable to provide informed consent

Trial design

Primary purpose: Screening

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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473 participants in 2 patient groups

Water exchange

Experimental group

Description:

Colonoscopy with water exchange as the sole modality to reach the cecum. Carbon dioxide can be used in case of intubation failure with the test method.

Treatment:

Other: Water exchange colonoscopy

Carbon dioxide insufflation

Active Comparator group

Description:

Carbon dioxide insufflation will be used in standard fashion to reach the cecum.

Treatment:

Other: Carbon dioxide insufflation