Improving pre-operative bowel preparation in colorectal cancer patients

Abstract

Objective To study the feasibility of improving pre-operative bowel preparation in colorectal cancer patients. Methods Sixty cases were randomly divided into two groups with thirty cases in each group. The experimental group was performed oral magnesium sulfate combination with glucose normal saline the day before surgery while the control group was conducted the ordinary pre-operative bowel preparation.All of the cases were tested for peripheral blood hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit and part of the serum ion levels before and after bowel preparation. Weight was measured and intestinal flora was analyzed before and after surgery preparation. The number of diarrhea was counted in the process of bowel preparation and intestinal cleanliness was observed during operation. Patients' general condition and complications were observed before and after surgery. Results Compared with the control group, the experimental group outperformed in terms of bowel preparation tolerance and the number of preoperative diarrhea(P＜0.05). Blood tests indicated that there was no significant difference in intestinal cleanliness between the two groups (P＞0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications in the control group was higher than that in the experimental group, which, however,was not significant (P＞0.05). In the experimental group, no significant change of intestinal flora was observed, whereas intestinal flora changed significantly in the control group. Conclusions The revised bowel preparation for colorectal cancer patients is simple. It can shorten the process of bowel preparation, increase patients' tolerance, and prevent postoperative flora disorder. Key words: Colorectal cancer; Surgery; Bowel preparation; Magnesium sulfate