[Colonoscopy: experience in a general hospital]

The authors emphasize the colonoscopy's importance and report their experience with the procedure in a general hospital. In a nearly 4 year period, 300 patients were submitted to the procedure, and the main indication was digestive bleeding, followed by alterations of bowels movements. The bowel preparation was done with mannitol ingestion except when contraindicated. The most frequent pathology were polyps and diverticular disease. Fifty three polypectomies were done in 22 patients.