Prolonged video capsule endoscopy examination durations can improve capsule endoscopy completeness

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Capsule endoscopy (CE) is a valuable tool for diagnosing small bowel diseases.
• The impact of extended examination times on CE performance remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the completeness and diagnostic yield of prolonged capsule endoscopy imaging.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of extended CE examination in patients with suspected small bowel bleeding.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of adult CE examinations using an overnight protocol (Jan 2016-Dec 2020).
• Categorization of CE records by examination length: within 8 hours, within 12 hours, and entire procedure.
• Comparison of completion rates and diagnostic yield across different examination durations using Cochran's Q test.

Main Results:

• A total of 88 patients were included, with 78.4% being inpatients (median age 72 years).
• The overall small bowel evaluation completion rate was 93.2%, significantly higher than rates within 12 hours (79.5%) and 8 hours (58%).
• The diagnostic yield for the entire overnight study was 83%, significantly higher than the 8-hour group (71.6%) and comparable to the 12-hour group (81.8%).

Conclusions:

• Extended overnight capsule endoscopy examinations enhance both completion rates and diagnostic yield.
• Prolonged CE should be considered for routine clinical practice in managing patients with suspected small bowel bleeding.