Unrestricted diet OK more than one day before colonoscopy

(HealthDay)—Unrestricted diets are acceptable more than one day before colonoscopy among patients using a split-dose bowel regimen, according to a study published in the October issue of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

Anna M. Leszczynski, M.D., from the Boston University Medical Center, and colleagues investigated whether fiber and various other foods/macronutrients consumed during the three days before colonoscopy are associated with bowel preparation quality among 168 patients (mean age, 59 years) enrolled from November 2015 to September 2016. Patients received instructions including split-dose polyethylene glycol, avoidance of vegetables and beans two days before colonoscopy, and a clear liquid diet the day before colonoscopy.

The researchers found that only 17 percent of patients complied with diet restrictions two days before the colonoscopy and 77 percent complied one day before the colonoscopy. There was no association between foods consumed two and three days before colonoscopy and Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) scores. There was a positive association between BBPS scores and intake of gelatin, as well as an inverse association between BBPS scores and intake of red meat, poultry, and vegetables on the day before the colonoscopy.

"Our findings support recent guidelines encouraging unrestricted diets >1 day before colonoscopy if using a split-dose bowel regimen," the authors write.