Ever Wonder Why Colonoscopies Are Scheduled For Mornings?

[tex]

I have. Evidently, it's because that's when GI docs prefer to do them, because there are few advantages to the patient. Besides the patient losing a good night's sleep, the night before, because of the "cleanout" schedule, the results of the exams themselves are apparently not as good as the results of exams scheduled for afternoons, following morning cleanouts.

Suddenly, I hate that I can no longer have a colonoscopy exam, because I would damn sure bring this up, if they tried to schedule one for me in the morning, after seeing this research report.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/721658

Tex

[Stanz]

I'm not a Medscape member, so could access this, but you actually CAN schedule an afternoon colonoscopy if you complain loud enough. I had mine in very late morning, you'd think the docs would consider what we go through to get to them for this. Small wonder they don't even have it on their radar screen. GRRRRR

We all need to remember WE are paying THEM and THEY should meet OUR schedule. I was originally scheduled for 7:30 AM, until my DH looked into it and said "no, we're not doing that" and rescheduled it for me.

What did this report say?

[tex]

Better to Have Bowel Prep and Colonoscopy on the Same Day: Study


By David Douglas

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) May 12 - When colonoscopy is scheduled for the afternoon, drinking the electrolyte solution in the morning is clinically equivalent to drinking half of it the night before, and affords the patient a better night's sleep and less disruption to the previous workday, new research shows.

"Our study shows that AM-only dosing protocol provides outstanding colon cleansing, which is critical for finding polyps and preventing cancer. In fact, many more polyps were found in the AM-only prep group," senior author Dr. David Kastenberg told Reuters Health by email.

Dr. Kastenberg and colleagues at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, randomized 116 patients scheduled for afternoon colonoscopy either to take a split dosage of polyethylene glycol electrolyte solution on the evening before and the morning of the colonoscopy, or to drink the entire dose in the morning.

In their April 20th online paper in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, the researchers report that whole colon preparation was adequate in 92% of the morning-only group and 94% of the split dosage group. Right colon prep was adequate in 93% and 92%, respectively.

They found significantly more polyps in the morning-only group (1.57 versus 0.94 per patient). The morning-only group also had significantly less abdominal pain, better sleep quality and less interference with their work on the day before the procedure.

"An important implication of our finding is that you can have your cake and eat it too -- high quality colonoscopy with superior tolerance as a one-day procedure," Dr. Kastenberg said.

Am J Gastroenterol 2010.

Incidentally, Medscape membership is free - all you have to do is register. I highly recommend it, because it allows access to a lot of medical articles that I wouldn't otherwise have access to.

Tex

[Jan]

My last one was in the early afternoon. I still had to do the prep the day before and couldn't drink or eat anything until after midnight. I was very dehydrated when I went in and getting the IV was very painful. I guess I'd rather have one mid-morning.

Jan

[Stanz]

I wonder how many other procedures with arcane traditions/procedures would have similar results if the patients comfort was more important than doctor convenience.

I'll consider signing up for medscape, as it is I can't remember half my passwords and user names already.

[tex]

I'll consider signing up for medscape, as it is I can't remember half my passwords and user names already.

Me either. I have to store all my passwords, registration codes, etc., in a special password-protected program, designed just for that purpose, on my PDA, or I would never be able to keep track of them.

Tex

[Delta]

Tex funny you should bring this up as I have one scheduled for none other than 8:00 am (6:30 arrival) next Wednesday

[Stanz]

Well, PROTEST. Delta. tell them you can't be there before 11 max. The GI Doc can arrive at work and do paperwork for a few hours before she's doing any procedures, so you can wake at 6 and drink the potion and arrive at noon. Not like this procedure takes more than about 20 minutes for chrissakes.

I had to get up way earlier than I'd of liked for my 11AM procedure, if I'd gone with my originally sched. 7:30 AM procedure, I'd of been up for 4 hours already. You're the sick one, screw them. You're paying for it. If you have to arrive at 6:30 then you'll be up all night. Make a stand, Delta.