Prospective analysis of complications 30 days after outpatient colonoscopy

Background.. Our objective was to (1) determine whether more complications are reported by patients 30 days after outpatient colonoscopy than are disc ussed at our monthly morbidity and mortality conferences, (2) identify comp lications resulting in visits to the emergency department or physician's of fice or leading to hospitalization, and (3) assess which factors put patien ts at highest risk. A secondary goal was to determine the rate of work lost after outpatient colonoscopy. Methods: Trained interviewers performed standardized telephone interviews o f consecutive outpatients undergoing colonoscopy at Georgetown University H ospital over a 1-year period. Results: One thousand one hundred ninety-six patients were contacted 30 day s after outpatient colonoscopy and participated in our study. Twenty patien ts had complications that required a visit to an emergency department or ph ysician. Ninety percent of these cases (18) were detected at 30 days, but 1 5% (3) were discussed at morbidity and mortality conferences. All seven com plications that necessitated hospitalization were identified at 30 days, bu t only two were discussed at our morbidity and mortality conference. The mo st common complications reported by patients were abdominal discomfort (5.4 %) and rectal bleeding (2.1%). Conclusion: More complications are detected by means of contacting patients 30 days after outpatient colonoscopy than are discussed at our morbidity a nd mortality conferences.