Z Gastroenterol 2012; 50 - A73
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1312427

Small bowel transit time in patients undergoing capsule endoscopy: Analyzis of determining factors

M Szalai 1, V Kánainé 1, G Kiss 1, H Regőczi 1, Z Horváth 2, I Rácz 1
  • 1Dept. of Gastroenterology, Petz Aladár Teaching Hospital, Győr, Hungary
  • 2Széchenyi István University, Department of Mathematics and Computational Sciences, Győr, Hungary

Background and aim: The quality of a capsule endoscopy (CE) study is largely dependent upon small bowel capsule transit time (SBTT) through the small intestine. Decreased SBTT during CE impaires visualisation of the entire small bowel mucosa. In contrary, prolonged SBTT during CE may be associated with a higher diagnostic yield. We aimed to identify certain risk factors that may help to predict either rapid or delayed SBTT.

Patients and methods: A total of 54 consecutive patients undergoing CE without the use of promotility agents were reviewed for the study. Indications for CE were obscure gastrointestinal bleeding or anaemia of unknown origin. Patients received a standard bowel preparation that consisted of a low-residue diet for 24 hours, fluid intake, and ingestion of 4l polypethylene-glycol solution swallowing the PillCam (SB2 Given Imaging capsule). SBTT was calculated by substracting the time of first duodenal image from the time of first cecal image. Patients who experienced capsule failure in reading the coecum were excluded from the analysis. Covariates of patient demographics were analyzed to detect positive associations with SBTT.

Results: The mean SBTT was 256.9 minutes (4.3 hrs), with a range between 31 and 469 minutes. Most patients (n=37, 68.5%) recorded a SBTT of 120–350 minutes. T-probe analysis demonstrated a lack of association between SBTT and patient gender, age, quality of bowel preparation, body mass index, hospital status, comorbidity and concomitant medication. There was a trend towards longer SBTT in patients on β-blocker therapy and with an excellent bowel preparation.

Conclusions: Small bowel transit time during capsule endoscopy does not appear to be related to factors such as patient age, gender, hospital status, body mass index and quality of bowel preparation. A trend of longer small bowel transit time was detected in patient on β-blocker co-medication and with excellent bowel preparation.