Patient preferences and side effects experienced with oral bowel preparations versus self-administered phosphate enema.

Preparation of the bowel is necessary for adequate visualisation in barium enema and endoscopic investigations of the lower gastrointestinal tract. The preparations used are known to have side effects, but no previous study has asked patients who have experienced more than one different type of preparation which they prefer, and would have again in the future. A total of 71 patients who had experienced both phosphate enema and an oral bowel preparation (at different times) were sent a postal questionnaire asking what side effects they experienced, which preparation they preferred, and whether they would agree to have the preparation again. Of the 49 patients who responded (69%), most patients (61%) preferred an oral bowel preparation to a phosphate enema (39%). From these results we shall consider offering oral bowel preparation to patients who previously would have been offered an enema for flexible sigmoidoscopy.