Adding stewed apricot juice to senna improves quality of colon cleansing in preparation for colonoscopy

Abstract

Background: To achieve optimal colonoscopic examination, the bowel must be sufficiently cleansed. However, none of the currently available colonoscopy preparation regimens is safe, efficient, and comfortable. The aim of this study was to determine whether adding stewed apricot juice to senna increased patient comfort and improved bowel cleansing during colonoscopy preparation. Methods: Outpatients of both genders who were over 18 years old and were referred for elective colonoscopy were randomly allocated to drink stewed apricot juice with senna or senna by itself. The quality of the colon cleansing was evaluated using the Ottawa scale. Patient tolerance and adverse events were evaluated through the completion of a questionnaire. Results: The study included a total of 128 patients in the randomization procedure. A significantly greater cleansing effect was observed using stewed apricot juice plus senna in the right and transverse colon (p = 0.038, p = 0.037 respectively). It was also determined that in the stewed apricot juice plus senna group, overall cleansing was superior (p < 0.001), total colonoscopy (17.6 min vs. 22.8 min, p = 0.048) and cecal intubation (7.4 min vs. 11.2 min, p = 0.042) times were shorter, and the colonoscopy procedure was easier (79.4% vs. 49.2%, p < 0.001). No differences were observed between the groups with respect to patient acceptance, compliance, and adverse events. In the stewed apricot juice plus senna group, 91.2% of patients stated their willingness to receive the same regimen in the future compared to 80% of the patients in the senna alone group (p = 0.037). Conclusion: The addition of natural, stewed apricot juice to senna significantly improves cleansing outcomes without additional adverse effects.