Review article: colon cleansing preparation for gastrointestinal procedures

Adequate cleansing is essential for reliable diagnostic and surgical colon procedures. Accuracy and safety depend on good preparation. Patient complia nce is enhanced by simplicity and wed-tolerated methods. Several methods are available. Diet and cathartic regimens utilize clear li quids or diets designed to leave a minimal colonic residue. Laxatives, cath artics and enemas are employed. Gut lavage solutions are osmotically balanc ed electrolyte ravage products. Oral sodium phosphate solutions and tablets are available and are attractive because of good efficacy with a small vol ume of administration. For colonoscopy and colon surgery preparation, these methods have been prov en safe and effective. For barium enema X-ray, lavage requires an adjunctiv e agent such as bisacodyl to enhance barium coating. Overall, all regimens are well-tolerated. This review discusses the development and clinical experience with various colon cleansing regimens.