Preparing for a colonoscopy

Speaking of colonoscopy, I believe everyone will think of colitis. In fact, colitis is quite common in daily life. Most of the time, this disease is a chronic disease with a long and slow course, which can last for several years or more than ten years. Its symptoms are also easy to be neglected, generally diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, insomnia, etc., and colonoscopy can clearly detect colitis. So what should you prepare before doing this colonoscopy, and what matters should you pay attention to? Let's learn about it together below.

1. Preparation before the inspection

Before undergoing a colonoscopy, you only need to start eating liquid or low-residue semi-liquid food 3 days before the examination, fast on the morning of the examination, take cathartics such as mannitol to clean the intestines the night before the examination to avoid affecting observation and operation, or take a cleansing enema to ensure the cleanliness of the intestines. During the examination, the doctor will inject a certain amount of gas into the intestinal cavity through a colonoscope to facilitate observation. Due to the tortuous structure of the colon, the person being examined may experience varying degrees of bloating or pulling sensation during the examination. As long as the person being examined can remain calm and actively cooperate according to the doctor's instructions, most people can tolerate and complete the examination. For subjects who are overly nervous or have severe intestinal spasm, sedatives or antispasmodics may be needed. For children who cannot cooperate, the operation needs to be performed under anesthesia. The injected gas is sucked out before the end of the examination, and most people do not experience obvious discomfort. If no lesions are found and no treatment is given, the person can carry out normal activities and eat normally.

2. Inspection precautions

1. Do not insert the endoscope blindly if you cannot see the intestinal cavity clearly. The operation should be gentle, and blind and violent pushing should be avoided, as this can easily damage the intestinal wall and cause perforation. When the intestinal cavity cannot be seen clearly or advancement is obstructed, wait a moment or move the endoscope back before advancing.

2. Do not inject too much air. Due to excessive gas injection, the tension in the intestine increases, which can easily cause perforation, especially in those who already have lesions in the colon. Due to concerns about perforation, some people advocate not injecting air as much as possible or injecting as little air as possible. But beginners often cannot see clearly and inject a large amount of gas, which is very dangerous.

3. During colonoscopy, do not go too deep. Going too deep or tearing too much tissue may easily cause bleeding or perforation.

Once intestinal perforation occurs, the patient should be closely observed and abdominal fluoroscopy should be performed immediately. Surgery should be performed promptly after the diagnosis is confirmed.