Preparation regimen is more important than patient-related factors: a randomized trial comparing a standard bowel preparation before colonoscopy with an individualized approach.

BACKGROUND: Optimal bowel preparation is one of the most important factors affecting the quality of colonoscopy. Several patient-related factors are known to influence the quality of bowel cleansing but randomized trials in this area are lacking. We aimed to compare an individualized bowel prep strategy based on patient characteristics to a standard preparation regimen. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted an endoscopist-blinded multicenter randomized control-trial. The Boston Bowel Prep Score (BBPS) was used to assess quality of bowel preparation and a 10 point visual analogue scale to assess patient comfort during bowel prep. Patients were randomised to either the standard regimens of split-dose 4L polyethylene-glycol (group A), split-dose sodium picosulphate/magnesium citrate (group B) or to either of the two depending on their responses to a 3-item questionnaire (individualized preparation, group C). RESULTS: 185 patients were randomized during the study period and 143 patients were included in the final analysis. Patients in the individualized group had a median BBPS of 7 compared to a median of 6 in the standard group (p = 0.7). Also, there was no significant difference in patients' comfort scores, irrespective of study group or laxative regimen. However, on multivariable analysis, a split-dose 4L polyethylene-glycol was an independent predictor for achieving a BBPS>6 (OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.4-9.8), regardless of patient-related factors. CONCLUSION: The choice of laxative seems to be more important than patient-related factors in predicting bowel cleansing. Comfort during bowel prep is not influenced by the type of strategy used.

Prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency in Romanian patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a prospective multicenter study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Anemia is the most frequent systemic complication in inflammatory bowel diseases. It affects the quality of life and can interact with working capacity. Our objectives were to identify the prevalence of anemia, its main causes and its management in patients with inflammatory bowel disease from Romania. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter prospective study from March 2013 to August 2014. We enrolled 291 patients from three referral centers: 115 (39.52%) with Crohn's disease (CD) and 176 (60.48%) with ulcerative colitis (UC). We defined anemia according to the WHO criteria. RESULTS: Median age of the patients was 41 years and the median time period since diagnosis was 3 years (0.75-7). The median activity index for UC (UCAI) was 4 and the median CD activity index (CDAI) was 96. More patients with CD were on antiTNFα therapy (p < 0.01), corticosteroids (p =0.18) or azathioprine (p=0.05) and required surgery for their underlying disease at study enrollment (p < 0.01). Anemia was present in 31.27% of the patients, more often in those with CD (35.65%) than with UC (28.41%) (not statistically significant); 53.26% of the patients had iron deficiency while 4.12% had folic acid and 8.59% vitamin B12 deficiency; 9.62% of the patients had received anti-anemic therapy at inclusion in the study or in the last three months prior to study enrollment. CONCLUSIONS: About one in three Romanian patients with inflammatory bowel disease has anemia, which is frequently associated with iron deficiency. About 30% of the patients with anemia are under therapy and the most frequent route for iron supplementation is the oral one. This might contribute to the high prevalence of iron deficiency and the low level of compliance.