Modified Lamaze Breathing Reduces Abdominal Pain in Patients during Colonoscopy

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Pain Management
• Respiratory Therapy

Background:

• Colonoscopy is a common endoscopic procedure for colorectal cancer screening and diagnosis.
• Abdominal pain and discomfort are frequent patient complaints during colonoscopy, potentially impacting procedure completion and patient satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a modified Lamaze breathing technique in alleviating abdominal pain during colonoscopy.
• To compare the impact of modified Lamaze breathing on patient-reported pain levels versus standard care.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 85 patients undergoing colonoscopy.
• Patients were allocated to either a modified Lamaze breathing group (n=40) or a control group (n=45).
• Key outcomes measured included abdominal pain severity, bowel cleanliness, and cecal intubation time.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found between groups in terms of age, gender, bowel cleanliness, or cecal intubation time.
• The modified Lamaze breathing group reported significantly lower levels of abdominal pain across multiple regions (anal, sigmoid, splenic flexure, hepatic flexure).

Conclusions:

• Modified Lamaze breathing is an effective non-pharmacological intervention for reducing abdominal pain during colonoscopy.
• This breathing technique shows potential for improving the overall patient experience and quality of colonoscopic examinations.