A prospective audit of paediatric colonoscopy under general anaesthesia

Colonoscopy in children is frequently performed using intravenous sedation. Traditionally, there have been few advocates of general anaesthesia and so me have regarded colonoscopy conducted in this way as potentially more haza rdous. The aim of this study was to undertake a prospective audit of paedia tric colonoscopy carried out under general anaesthesia. The details of all children referred for colonoscopy during a 3.5-y period were collected pros pectively and the safety and efficacy of performing colonoscopy under gener al anaesthesia were analysed. A total of 250 colonoscopies was performed in 215 children of median age 10.7 y (range 5 months to 16 y) and ileoscopy w as carried out in 164 of these cases. An increasing proportion of patients was investigated as day-cases, including most of the 56 who had additional procedures carried out under the same anaesthetic. There were no complicati ons from the colonoscopy (including the 18 patients who underwent polypecto my). Only one procedure-related complication occurred and this was avoidabl e. These results confirm the safety of paediatric colonoscopy under general anaesthesia and demonstrate the advantages and feasibility of such an appr oach.