Meta-Analysis
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World J Meta-Anal. May 26, 2013; 1(1): 10-15
Published online May 26, 2013. doi: 10.13105/wjma.v1.i1.10
Ascorbic acid and low-volume polyethylene glycol for bowel preparation prior to colonoscopy: A meta-analysis
Jonathan D Godfrey, Robert E Clark, Abhishek Choudhary, Imran Ashraf, Michelle L Matteson, Srinivas R Puli, Matthew L Bechtold
Jonathan D Godfrey, Robert E Clark, Abhishek Choudhary, Imran Ashraf, Michelle L Matteson, Matthew L Bechtold, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, United States
Srinivas R Puli, OSF MG Gastroenterology, University of Illinois, Peoria, IL 61604, United States
Author contributions: Godfrey JD, Clark RE and Bechtold ML were responsible for the conception and design of the study; Godfrey JD, Clark RE, Choudhary A and Ashraf I collected the data and organized data extraction sheets; Matteson ML, Puli SR and Bechtold ML statistically analyzed the data; Godfrey JD and Clark RE drafted the manuscript with critical revision being performed by Ashraf I, Choudhary A, Matteson ML, Puli SR and Bechtold ML.
Correspondence to: Matthew L Bechtold, MD, FACG, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Missouri, Health Sciences Center, Five Hospital Drive, Columbia, MO 65212, United States. bechtoldm@health.missouri.edu
Telephone: +1-573-8821013 Fax: +1-573-8844595
Received: February 19, 2013
Revised: March 20, 2013
Accepted: April 9, 2013
Published online: May 26, 2013
Core Tip

Core tip: Optimal visualization of the colon during colonoscopy requires adequate bowel preparation that is effective and tolerable to the patient. Low-volume polyethylene glycol (PEG) preparation coupled with ascorbic acid has been utilized to enhance patient tolerability without affecting the quality of bowel preparation. This meta-analysis shows that bowel preparation with low-volume PEG with ascorbic acid does not differ from full-dose PEG for quality of bowel preparation or patient tolerability.