Getting Ready for a Standard Virtual Colonoscopy

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Getting Ready for Your Virtual Colonoscopy (VC) Standard Exam

Proper bowel cleaning is needed for the best exam!

To get a clean and empty colon you will need to start to prepare your colon the day before your virtual colonoscopy exam. Both a clear liquid diet and the contents of the bowel prep kit are needed to clean out the colon. The bowel prep kit contains laxatives and contrast material. The laxatives will help clean out the bowel for the exam. The contrast will help to highlight any stool left in your colon on the VC pictures.

The Day Before Your Exam (Prep Day)

Starting at midnight the day of your prep, you may drink as many clear liquids (see below) as you want. Drink only clear liquids for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Do not eat any solid foods. Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration and make the laxative work better. It is recommended to drink 4 to 6 cups of clear liquids or sports drinks with electrolytes throughout the morning and mid afternoon prior to starting Step 2 to stay well hydrated. Please avoid red liquids (i.e., red Jell-O^Ò or cranberry juice). Clear liquids may include:

· Gatorade^Ò, Powerade^Ò (sports drinks with electrolytes are recommended to help with hydration)

· Water, tea, or coffee (no cream or milk; sugar is okay),

· Bouillon or broth

· Jell-O^Ò, Popsicles^Ò (no fruit or cream added)

· Apple, white grape, or white cranberry juice (no orange, tomato, grapefruit, or prune juice)

· Soda such as Sprite^Ò,7-Up^Ò, ginger ale, or any cola

· Clear hard candy, gum

· Lemonade (with no pulp), iced tea

Follow the Bowel Prep medicine schedule. If you take other medicines, it is best to take them 1 hour before or at least 1 hour after you finish the laxatives (Fleet^Ò Phospho-soda, or magnesium citrate). You may wish to place the kit in the refrigerator to make the contents more pleasant to drink. Or, you may drink them at room temperature. You may have as many clear liquids as you like between each step and up until midnight.

q Step 1 – before 11 AM: Take the two Bisacodyl^Ò tablets (5mg each) with 1 glass (8 ounces) of clear liquids. This will gently help move your bowels (6-8 hours after you take this medicine) to help the laxative taken in Step 2 work better. You can take these tablets and still do normal activities because they rarely cause diarrhea.

q Step 2 – between 2 and 6 PM: (Choose one option)

o Option A: Drink one bottle (45 mL) of the Fleet^Ò Phospho-soda undiluted. Drink it quickly and follow with 1 glass (8 ounces) of clear liquid right away. Follow this with 5 to 6 glasses (8 ounces each) of clear liquids before Step 3.

o Option B: Mix one bottle (45 mL) of the Fleet^Ò Phospho-soda liquid into 1 glass (8 ounces) of a clear juice or soda (i.e., 7-up, ginger ale). Drink the entire glass. Follow this with 5 to 6 glasses (8 ounces each) of clear liquid before Step 3.

You should begin to have closely spaced bowel movements, so you will want to be near a restroom. The time it takes for the laxative to start working varies for each person. Wait at least 3 hours from the time you take the Fleet^Ò Phospho-soda before going on to Step 3.

q Step 3 – between 5 and 9 PM: Step 3 should begin at least 3 hours after the start of Step 2.

o Drink 250 mL of liquid barium sulfate found in the prep kit.

o If the Fleet^® Phospho-soda, which you took at least three hours before this, did not result in bowel movements which become loose, drink the 10-fluid ounce bottle of magnesium citrate at this time. Whether or not you take the magnesium citrate, drink 5 to 6 glasses of clear liquids before Step 4. Wait 2 to 3 hours before starting Step 4.

q Step 4 – between 8 and 11 PM: Step 4 should begin 2-3 hours after the start of Step 3.
(Choose one option)

o Option A: Drink 1 bottle (60 mL) of diatrizoate undiluted. You may find it tastes better if you quickly drink it and then follow it with 1 glass (8 ounces) of clear juice, soda, or water. This will dilute the medicine in your stomach.

o Option B: Mix 1 bottle (60 mL) of diatrizoate in 1 glass (8 ounces) of clear juice, soda, or water. If you dilute the medicine, you must be able to drink the entire amount.

You may keep drinking clear liquids until midnight.

ü Bowel Prep Complete !!!

The Day of Your Exam

Do not eat or drink anything after midnight on your exam day and until you are advised to after your exam. But you may take your daily medicines as prescribed with small sips of water. If you haven’t been able to have a bowel movement or to finish the prep kit, please call to schedule the exam for a later date.

If you have diabetes, test your blood glucose level more often when you can’t eat as well as before your exam. You should adjust your insulin or oral diabetes pills as discussed with your doctor. Resume your normal schedule after you receive the exam result phone call and are eating again. If your blood glucose level is low (less than 70 mg/dl) or you have symptoms, please drink a clear liquid that contains sugar or take glucose tablets. Always recheck your blood sugar level to make sure it stays above 70. We can still do the exam unless you need to eat solid food to maintain your blood glucose. It is better to maintain your blood glucose than to have the exam. We can always schedule your VC in the future.

After the Exam

You will be told when to resume your normal diet and any medicines you may have stopped when a member of the VC team calls you with the results of the exam, often within 2 hours. If you are taking Coumadin^® (warfarin) or Plavix^® (clopidogrel), you may resume your normal diet right after the exam.

Contacts

Medical Imaging Department at Mile Bluff Medical Center: 608-847-6161 x4323
If you need to reschedule for any reason please call 608-847-6161 x4824
If you have an urgent concern after normal business hours, contact your primary care doctor’s on-call service.
If you are in need of immediate medical help, call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Room.