Correlation of Cleanliness among Different Bowel Segments during Colonoscopy: A Retrospective Study

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Imaging
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Colonoscopy is a crucial diagnostic procedure.
• Adequate bowel preparation is essential for effective colonoscopy.
• The Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) is used to assess intestinal cleanliness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the correlation of intestinal cleanliness across different segments of the colon using the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale.
• To determine the predictive value of cleanliness in one colonic segment for another.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of colonoscopy data from 1739 patients.
• Statistical analysis of Boston Bowel Preparation Scale scores for right, transverse, and left colon segments.
• Assessment of the accuracy of predicting cleanliness in one segment based on another.

Main Results:

• Overall BBPS score was 6.77 ± 1.88.
• Intestinal cleanliness significantly deteriorated from left to right colon (Left: 2.48 ± 0.64, Transverse: 2.25 ± 0.68, Right: 2.04 ± 0.84).
• Transverse colon cleanliness accurately predicted right colon cleanliness (AUC = 0.809), while left colon cleanliness had lower predictive accuracy for the right colon (AUC = 0.735).

Conclusions:

• Intestinal cleanliness decreases from the point of insertion towards the cecum.
• Left colon cleanliness is not a reliable predictor of right colon cleanliness.
• Poor transverse colon cleanliness may warrant consideration for stopping the procedure, while poor left colon cleanliness does not reliably indicate poor right colon cleanliness.