559 Patients' Descriptions of Their Last Bowel Movement Before Colonoscopy, Converted to a Standardized Score, Shows Strong Correlation With Their Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) Score

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide. Early detection of adenomatous polyps and adenocarcinoma reduces mortality. The effectiveness of colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening is reliant on the quality of bowel preparation. Patients with inadequate bowel preparation may require repeat colonoscopy; this exposes patients to further risks while placing financial stress on individuals and healthcare systems. The purpose of this study is to assess if a patient's description of their last bowel movement, converted to a standardized score, correlates to the quality of bowel cleansing. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study performed at two hospitals with data collected over two months. On the day of the colonoscopy, prior to the procedure, outpatients were asked by a resident physician to describe their last bowel movement. The description was converted to a standardized score: “fully solid”, assigned a score of 0; “liquid with solid pieces”, assigned a score of 1; “brown liquid”, assigned a score of 2; and “clear / yellow liquid”, assigned a score of 3. Subsequently, each patient's total and segmental Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) score was determined and recorded by the clinician performing the colonoscopy. The nurses and clinicians performing the procedure were blinded to the patient's last bowel movement description. Data analysis using bivariate Pearson's Correlation was used to assess the strength of correlation between the patients' descriptions and BBPS scores. RESULTS: Study population characteristics: N = 121, 66 F and 55 M; mean age 56.16 with Std. Dev. of 16.12; mean total BBPS 7.74 with Std. Dev. of 1.87. Bivariate Pearson's Correlation showed a strong correlation (r = 0.738; P < 0.001) between the patients' descriptions and total BBPS score. Patients' descriptions versus segmental BBPS scores showed: a strong correlation with Left Colon BBPS (r = 0.702; P < 0.001); a moderate correlation with Transverse Colon BBPS (r = 0.632; P < 0.001); and a moderate correlation with Right Colon BBPS (r = 0.667; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: A patient's description of their last bowel movement, converted to a standardized score, shows a strong correlation with their BBPS score. One implication of identifying a patient with inadequate bowel preparation before a colonoscopy is potentially rescheduling the procedure. Alternatively, it may be possible to provide patients with extra time and medication for colon cleansing before the colonoscopy is attempted.