Safety and Efficacy of Polyethylene Glycol Versus Placebo in the Bowel Preparation for Elective Colorectal Surgeries: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis
Malak Maaz Hassan, Shafiq Ur Rahman, Malak Bilal Hassan, Taimoor Khan, Intikhab Alam, Atizaz Ahmad, Ata Us Samad, Imran Khan
TL;DR
This study finds that polyethylene glycol offers no significant benefits over placebo for bowel preparation before colorectal surgeries.
Contribution
A meta-analysis comparing PEG and placebo for bowel preparation in elective colorectal surgeries, revealing no significant efficacy differences.
Findings
PEG showed no significant improvement in bowel preparation quality compared to placebo.
No significant differences were found in surgical site infections or other postoperative complications between PEG and placebo groups.
The study highlights the need for further research into alternative bowel preparation methods.
Abstract
The most suitable type of preoperative colonic preparation for colorectal surgery is controversial. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) has been widely used and some regard it as more suitable for bowel cleansing. However, it also has some limitations, such as nausea and vomiting. These problems have caused surgeons to question whether bowel cleansing offers any benefit at all. This study aims to assess the safety and efficacy of PEG, compare it with other available bowel preparations, conduct a detailed analysis of the available evidence, and inform clinical practice guidelines for bowel preparation before elective colorectal surgeries. MeSH terms and keywords, including "colorectal surgeries", "polyethylene glycol", and "placebo", were used to run a literature search on PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Clinicaltrials.gov from inception to January 2025. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs)…
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Taxonomy
TopicsColorectal Cancer Surgical Treatments · Colorectal Cancer Screening and Detection · Cardiac, Anesthesia and Surgical Outcomes