- 1 On being a patient
- 2 Modern medicine: foundations, achievements, and limitations
- 3 Global patterns of disease and medical practice
- 4 Cell biology
- 5 Immunological mechanisms
- 6 Principles of clinical oncology
- 7 Infection
- 8 Sexually transmitted diseases and sexual health
- 9 Chemical and physical injuries and environmental factors and disease
- 10 Clinical pharmacology
- 11 Nutrition
- 12 Metabolic disorders
- 13 Endocrine disorders
- 14 Medical disorders in pregnancy
- 15 Gastroenterological disorders
- 15.1 Structure and function of the gut
- 15.2 Symptomatology of gastrointestinal disease
- 15.3 Methods for investigation of gastrointestinal disease
- 15.3.1 Colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy
- 15.3.2 Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy
- 15.3.3 Radiology of the gastrointestinal tract
- 15.3.4 Investigation of gastrointestinal function
- 15.4 Common acute abdominal presentations
- 15.5 Immune disorders of the gastrointestinal tract
- 15.6 The mouth and salivary glands
- 15.7 Diseases of the oesophagus
- 15.8 Peptic ulcer disease
- 15.9 Hormones and the gastrointestinal tract
- 15.10 Malabsorption
- 15.11 Crohn’s disease
- 15.12 Ulcerative colitis
- 15.13 Irritable bowel syndrome and functional bowel disorders
- 15.14 Colonic diverticular disease
- 15.15 Congenital abnormalities of the gastrointestinal tract
- 15.16 Cancers of the gastrointestinal tract
- 15.17 Vascular and collagen disorders
- 15.18 Gastrointestinal infections
- 15.19 Structure and function of the liver, biliary tract, and pancreas
- 15.20 Jaundice
- 15.21 Hepatitis and autoimmune liver disease
- 15.22 Other disorders of the liver
- 15.23 Diseases of the gallbladder and biliary tree
- 15.24 Diseases of the pancreas
- 15.25 Congenital disorders of the liver, biliary tract, and pancreas
- 15.26 Miscellaneous disorders of the bowel and liver
- 16 Cardiovascular disorders
- 17 Critical care medicine
- 18 Respiratory disorders
- 19 Rheumatological disorders
- 20 Disorders of the skeleton
- 21 Disorders of the kidney and urinary tract
- 22 Disorders of the blood
- 23 Disorders of the skin
- 24 Neurological disorders
- 25 The eye
- 26 Psychiatry and drug related problems
- 27 Forensic medicine
- 28 Sports medicine
- 29 Geratology
- 30 Pain
- 31 Palliative medicine
- 32 Biochemistry in medicine
- 33 Acute medicine
Colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy
- Chapter:
- Colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy
- Author(s):
James E. East
and Brian P. Saunders
- DOI:
- 10.1093/med/9780199204854.003.150301_update_001
July 30, 2015: This chapter has been re-evaluated and remains up-to-date. No changes have been necessary.
Update:
Preparation of instruments—modified to include discussion of prion disease.
Prophylaxis against endocarditis—modified to reflect updated guidelines.
Flexible sigmoidoscopy—discussion of findings of recent population-based screening studies.
Cost-effectiveness—discussion of importance of quality assurance of endoscopists.
Images—videos of diagnostic colonoscopy and resection of a colonic polyp.
Colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy are techniques for visualizing the lumen of the large bowel. In expert hands, after appropriate explanation to the patient (which increases the chances of the procedure being well tolerated), bowel preparation, and (usually) some form of ‘conscious sedation’, then total colonoscopy is possible in 98 to 99% of cases in the absence of obstruction, a severely ulcerated colon, or other contraindication....
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- 1 On being a patient
- 2 Modern medicine: foundations, achievements, and limitations
- 3 Global patterns of disease and medical practice
- 4 Cell biology
- 5 Immunological mechanisms
- 6 Principles of clinical oncology
- 7 Infection
- 8 Sexually transmitted diseases and sexual health
- 9 Chemical and physical injuries and environmental factors and disease
- 10 Clinical pharmacology
- 11 Nutrition
- 12 Metabolic disorders
- 13 Endocrine disorders
- 14 Medical disorders in pregnancy
- 15 Gastroenterological disorders
- 15.1 Structure and function of the gut
- 15.2 Symptomatology of gastrointestinal disease
- 15.3 Methods for investigation of gastrointestinal disease
- 15.3.1 Colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy
- 15.3.2 Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy
- 15.3.3 Radiology of the gastrointestinal tract
- 15.3.4 Investigation of gastrointestinal function
- 15.4 Common acute abdominal presentations
- 15.5 Immune disorders of the gastrointestinal tract
- 15.6 The mouth and salivary glands
- 15.7 Diseases of the oesophagus
- 15.8 Peptic ulcer disease
- 15.9 Hormones and the gastrointestinal tract
- 15.10 Malabsorption
- 15.11 Crohn’s disease
- 15.12 Ulcerative colitis
- 15.13 Irritable bowel syndrome and functional bowel disorders
- 15.14 Colonic diverticular disease
- 15.15 Congenital abnormalities of the gastrointestinal tract
- 15.16 Cancers of the gastrointestinal tract
- 15.17 Vascular and collagen disorders
- 15.18 Gastrointestinal infections
- 15.19 Structure and function of the liver, biliary tract, and pancreas
- 15.20 Jaundice
- 15.21 Hepatitis and autoimmune liver disease
- 15.22 Other disorders of the liver
- 15.23 Diseases of the gallbladder and biliary tree
- 15.24 Diseases of the pancreas
- 15.25 Congenital disorders of the liver, biliary tract, and pancreas
- 15.26 Miscellaneous disorders of the bowel and liver
- 16 Cardiovascular disorders
- 17 Critical care medicine
- 18 Respiratory disorders
- 19 Rheumatological disorders
- 20 Disorders of the skeleton
- 21 Disorders of the kidney and urinary tract
- 22 Disorders of the blood
- 23 Disorders of the skin
- 24 Neurological disorders
- 25 The eye
- 26 Psychiatry and drug related problems
- 27 Forensic medicine
- 28 Sports medicine
- 29 Geratology
- 30 Pain
- 31 Palliative medicine
- 32 Biochemistry in medicine
- 33 Acute medicine