COMPARISON OF MEAN BOWEL PREPARATION IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING COLONOSCOPY PREPARED BY SODIUM PHOSPHATE VERSUS POLYETHYLENE USING BOSTON BOWEL PREPARATION SCORE

Introduction: Colonic preparation plays a crucial role in colonoscopy, as it affects the chances and success of identifying the lesion and other related results. Sodium Phosphate (NaP) and Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) are two types of bowel preparation agents, comparison between them reveals that they have a propensity to cause side effects, complications, and patient compliance. The Bowel preparation score of Boston thus makes it easier to compare the efficacy of the various regimens because it has a touch of bias-free, objectivity in the process of assessment. Objectives: The current study aimed to compare the mean bowel preparation quality of NaP and PEG in patients undergoing colonoscopy with the help of BBPS to check its effectiveness, safety, and compliance. Materials and Methods:  A cross-sectional study was done at Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Nishtar Medical University Hospital, Multan, Pakistan from January 2024 to June 2024, with 200 patients randomly placed in NaP or PEG. Descriptive statistics on BBPS, compliance level, and AEs on the patient samples were conducted. Results: In this study, NaP was found to have overall better BBPS scores of 7.2 ± 1.4 than PEG of 6.5 ± 1.6, p = 0.03. However, NaP was significantly associated with a higher risk of dehydration compared to saline which was only 18% against 8% With PEG, more patients reported cases of nausea and bloating. Conclusion: NaP is more effective as a bowel preparation though it poses more risks of dehydration than the other preparations. Besides, it was demonstrated that the mentioned PEG is safer for high-risk patients even if it harms lower compliance of the patient. Thus, the strategy of risk adjustment can be applied to bowel preparation outcomes, as it is with other similar procedures.