Effect of Lactulose and/or Polyethylene Glycol Solution for Bowel Preparation for Colonscopy Procedures

Colonoscopy is the most useful exam used to evaluate colorectal diseases, like colorectal polyps and cancer. The appropriate bowel preparation is indispensable for colonoscopy procedures. Polyethylene glycol solution (PEG) is the most frequent laxative medication. However, the taste is poor, and patients need to drink a lot of liquids to obtain adequate visualization of the mucosal surface. In fact, no laxative has all the characteristics of an ideal medication. Lactulose is an osmotic laxative which widely used in cirrhosis and constipation patients, and could inhibit bacterial in the colon to increase colon cleanliness and prolong the effect time of PEG. Previous study demonstrate PEG combined with lactulose has a significant improvement in the quality of bowel preparation compared with PEG alone. The present study aim to assess the efficacy of lactulose with or without PEG in bowel preparation to improve mucosal visualization, reduced volume of fluid consumed, and preparation intolerance.