The usefulness of glucagon hydrochloride for colonic distention in CT colonography

The purpose of this study was to compare colonic distention with and without glucagon hydrochloride during CT colonography.

CT colonography using single breath-hold, thin-section helical technique was performed on 60 patients who were in the supine and prone positions. Magnesium citrate and polyethylene glycol were used for bowel preparation. Colonic air insufflation averaged 30 bulb compressions. Thirty-three patients received IV glucagon (1 mg), and 27 patients did not. The colon was divided into eight segments, and the adequacy of the distention of each segment was evaluated. Overall colonic distention scores, defined as the number of inadequately distended segments (0-8), were recorded for the supine, prone, and combined positions. In the combined position, inadequate distention was defined as identical segments that were inadequately distended in both positions.

A total of 960 segments were evaluated: 528 segments in the glucagon group and 432 segments in the nonglucagon group. In the glucagon group, 444 segments (84.1%) were adequately distended. In the nonglucagon group, 365 segments (84.5%) were adequately distended. The median and range for overall colonic distention scores in the supine, prone, and combined positions were 1 (0-3), 1 (0-3), and 0 (0), respectively, for the glucagon group and 1 (0-6), 1 (0-6), and 0 (0-1), respectively, for the nonglucagon group. We found no statistically significant difference in overall colonic distention between the glucagon group and the nonglucagon group for the supine (p = .84), prone (p = .15), or combined (p = .28) positions.

Glucagon administration before CT colonography does not improve colonic distention.