Comparison of Golytely lavage with standard diet/cathartic preparation for double-contrast barium enema

In a two-part study, two groups of 100 outpatients each were randomly assigned a colon preparation. In part 1, a standard 1-day diet/cathartic combination was compared with Golytely. In part 2, diet/cathartics was compared with Golytely plus Dulcolax (bisacodyl). The standard preparation provided good or excellent feces removal in 81 (80%) of 101 subjects. Golytely alone was successful in only 21 (53%) of 40 patients, but Golytely followed by Dulcolax achieved good or excellent feces removal in 31 (82%) of 38. Degraded mucosal coating with Golytely alone, due to excessive fluid retention, was also corrected by the addition of Dulcolax. Golytely alone is not an adequate method of colon cleansing for double-contrast barium enema, but Golytely plus Dulcolax is as effective as the standard preparation.