Taste aversion as an under-recognized determinant of bowel preparation quality

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Pharmacology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Inadequate bowel preparation is a significant obstacle to high-quality colonoscopies.
• Taste aversion to bowel preparation solutions contributes to poor patient tolerability.
• Current strategies focus on altering formulation or dosage, with limited success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel approach using topical oral lidocaine to suppress gustatory perception.
• To reduce the unpleasant taste of bowel preparation solutions.
• To enhance patient tolerance and compliance with bowel preparation protocols.

Main Methods:

• A hypothesis-driven approach targeting gustatory perception directly.
• Utilizing transient pharmacologic suppression with topical oral lidocaine.
• Based on a clinical observation of successful oral intake after lidocaine application.

Main Results:

• Lidocaine may reduce the perceived unpleasantness of bowel preparation solutions.
• This approach targets taste perception, not the preparation itself.
• Potential for a complementary strategy for patients with intolerance.

Conclusions:

• Topical oral lidocaine is a potential novel strategy to improve bowel preparation tolerability.
• This method may benefit selected patients experiencing taste aversion.
• Further research is needed to evaluate feasibility, safety, and effectiveness.