Could senna improve the quality of colonoscopy preparation with magnesium citrate?
Inadequate cleansing of the colon has an adverse effect on procedure time, safety, completion rate and diagnostic accuracy. Until now, it has been unclear whether the combination of the stimulant laxative, senna, and the osmotic laxative, magnesium citrate, results in better cleansing outcome and is acceptable and tolerable for the patients. This question is tested in an original paper to be published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology on April 14, 2009. This study designed by Prof. Dr Barbara Braden at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, included 342 patients who required colonoscopy. One hundred and sixty patients received magnesium citrate alone as cleansing regimen and 182 received senna granules in addition to magnesium citrate. The efficacy of the cleansing regimen was assessed by a single, experienced colonoscopist who rated it on a 4-point scale. Each patient’s experience of the bowel preparation was recorded prior to the procedure and graded. Other outcomes that were
