Sennoside A+B Is as Effective as Polyethylene Glycol in Preparation for Small Intestine Capsule Endoscopy

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Diagnostics
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Bowel preparation is crucial for effective small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE).
• Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a common bowel preparation agent.
• Alternative agents like sennoside A+B are being evaluated for SBCE preparation efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and sennoside A+B for bowel preparation in SBCE.
• To assess bowel cleaning quality and diagnostic yield between PEG and sennoside A+B regimens.
• To determine if sennoside A+B is a viable alternative for intestinal cleansing prior to SBCE.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective single-center study of patients undergoing SBCE between May 2010 and March 2023.
• Patients were assigned to either PEG 4L or sennoside A+B calcium 250 mL for bowel preparation.
• Comparison of segmental and total small bowel cleaning scores and diagnostic yield for small bowel lesions.

Main Results:

• Two hundred forty-two patients were included (PEG 74.4%, sennoside A+B 25.6%).
• No significant differences were observed in proximal, mid, distal, or total small bowel cleaning scores between PEG and sennoside A+B.
• The diagnostic value of SBCE was similar for both preparation regimens.

Conclusions:

• Sennoside A+B demonstrates comparable effectiveness to PEG for small bowel preparation in SBCE.
• Sennoside A+B can be utilized as an effective agent for intestinal cleansing prior to capsule endoscopy.
• The findings support sennoside A+B as a suitable alternative to PEG for SBCE preparation.