Clinical trial · Interventional
Water Exchange Colonoscopy in Elderly Patients
Water Exchange Colonoscopy in Elderly Patients: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 26, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260926-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
Colonoscopy is an important test for detecting colorectal polyps and cancer, but it can cause pain and discomfort, especially in older adults. Traditional colonoscopy uses air to expand the colon. Water exchange colonoscopy uses warm water instead of air, which may reduce pain and make the examination easier. This study compared four colonoscopy methods in patients aged 55 years and older: non-anesthesia water injection, non-anesthesia gas insufflation, anesthesia water injection, and anesthesia gas insufflation. Two hundred participants were randomly assigned to one of the four groups. The study measured pain using a visual analog scale, the time needed to reach the cecum, and blood levels of inflammatory markers (IL-1β, IL-6, and PGE2). The results may help doctors choose a safer and more comfortable colonoscopy method for older patients, especially when anesthesia may not be suitable.
Conditions
Conditions (2)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colonoscopy | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Colorectal Cancer Screening | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (3)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas insufflation colonoscopy | Procedure | — | UNRESOLVED |
| Propofol and opioid anesthesia | Drug | — | UNRESOLVED |
| Water exchange colonoscopy | Procedure | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (4)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Non-anesthesia water injection (NW)
- description
- Participants receive water exchange colonoscopy without anesthesia. Warm water at 37°C is injected through the biopsy channel during insertion; gas and fluid are aspirated as needed. No anesthesia or analgesia is administered.
- interventionNames
- Procedure: Water exchange colonoscopy
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Non-anesthesia gas insufflation (NA)
- description
- Participants receive conventional gas insufflation colonoscopy without anesthesia. Air is used to expand the intestinal lumen. No anesthesia or analgesia is administered.
- interventionNames
- Procedure: Gas insufflation colonoscopy
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 55 Years
- Maximum age
- 80 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age ≥ 55 years 2. Indications for colonoscopy 3. Signed informed consent form Exclusion Criteria: 1. History of intestinal surgery 2. Severe intestinal stenosis or obstruction 3. Cognitive impairment that precludes cooperation with assessment
References
Publications (5)
- RESULTXu X, Ni D, Lu Y, Huang X. Diagnostic application of water exchange colonoscopy: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Int Med Res. 2019 Feb;47(2):515-527. doi: 10.1177/0300060518819626. Epub 2019 Jan 11. PMID 30632431
- RESULTCadoni S, Ishaq S, Hassan C, Falt P, Fuccio L, Siau K, Leung JW, Anderson J, Binmoeller KF, Radaelli F, Rutter MD, Sugimoto S, Muhammad H, Bhandari P, Draganov PV, de Groen P, Wang AY, Yen AW, Hamerski C, Thorlacius H, Neumann H, Ramirez F, Mulder CJJ, Albeniz E, Amato A, Arai M, Bak A, Barret M, Bayupurnama P, Cheung R, Ching HL, Cohen H, Dolwani S, Friedland S, Harada H, Hsieh YH, Hayee B, Kuwai T, Lorenzo-Zuniga V, Liggi M, Mizukami T, Mura D, Nylander D, Olafsson S, Paggi S, Pan Y, Parra-Blanco A, Ransford R, Rodriguez-Sanchez J, Senturk H, Suzuki N, Tseng CW, Uchima H, Uedo N, Leung FW. Water-assisted colonoscopy: an international modified Delphi review on definitions and practice recommendations. Gastrointest Endosc. 2021 Jun;93(6):1411-1420.e18. doi: 10.1016/j.gie.2020.10.011. Epub 2020 Oct 16. PMID 33069706
- RESULTDing Y, Lin X. Outcomes and safety of colonoscopy in elderly patients aged 80 years and older: a retrospective cohort study. PeerJ. 2025 Nov 19;13:e20404. doi: 10.7717/peerj.20404. eCollection 2025. PMID 41282981
- RESULTSingal AG, Gupta S, Skinner CS, Ahn C, Santini NO, Agrawal D, Mayorga CA, Murphy C, Tiro JA, McCallister K, Sanders JM, Bishop WP, Loewen AC, Halm EA. Effect of Colonoscopy Outreach vs Fecal Immunochemical Test Outreach on Colorectal Cancer Screening Completion: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2017 Sep 5;318(9):806-815. doi: 10.1001/jama.2017.11389. PMID 28873161
- RESULTHe KQ, Huang TT, Tan MY, Gao C, Wang S. Efficacy and Safety of Ciprofol Versus Propofol as Anesthetic for Patients Undergoing Painless Colonoscopy. Pain Ther. 2024 Dec;13(6):1633-1644. doi: 10.1007/s40122-024-00662-x. Epub 2024 Oct 14. PMID 39400664