Palatability of a new solution compared with standard polyethylene glycol solution for gastrointestinal lavage

The salty unpleasant taste of the standard polyethylene glycol electrolyte lavage solution constitutes a major drawback, which limits patient compliance. Recently, a new low-sodium cleansing solution was described and introduced as a major advance, allegedly providing a distinctly better taste and improving compliance. We compared the taste of both solutions, seeking a possible preference applying a double-blind randomized design. Twenty-eight healthy volunteers tasted one of the two solutions without a direct comparison. Both solutions were found to have a similar palatability and an equal salty taste. A different group of 50 volunteers compared the two solutions. Twenty-one preferred the standard solution, 25 preferred the new solution (not significant), and 4 subjects had no preference. Among the subjects basing their preference on the saltiness of the solutions, 18 estimated the standard solution to taste more salty than the new low sodium solution, while 18 volunteers found the new solution to taste more salty than the standard solution. This study does not confirm a taste preference for the new low-salt polyethylene glycol electrolyte lavage solution as compared with the standard solution for colonic cleansing. The difference in the salt concentrations of the two solutions could not regularly be distinguished by a group of healthy volunteers.