A study, published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, examined factors that indicated inadequately prepared bowels before a colonoscopy.
Kunjal Gandhi, MD, of Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University, and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of 67 studies and 75,818 patients. Researchers included any factor with an odds ratio greater than 1.5.
These six factors indicated inadequate bowel preparation:
1. Cirrhosis (odds ratio of 3.4)
2. Tricyclic antidepressants (2.6 OR for women, 1.4 OR for men)
3. Stroke or dementia (OR of 2.1)
4. Constipation (OR of 2.0)
5. Diabetes (OR of 1.8)
6. Opioid use (OR of 1.7)
Studies measuring if there was a correlation between education and bowel preparation had an odds ratio of 1.5.
Researchers concluded, "In a systematic review and meta-analysis, we found no single patient-related factor to be solely associated with inadequate bowel preparation. Health conditions and use of some medications appear to be stronger predictors than sociodemographic characteristics."
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