In 2018, 50,630 people in the United States will die of colorectal cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. It is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women in this country.
Topics: colonoscopy, colon cancer, screening, polyp, healthcare costs, patient safety, abdominal pain colonoscopy, bowel prep colonoscopy
During colonoscopy, looping is a frequent challenge. It occurs when the colonoscope stretches and distends the colon in response to the physician’s efforts to advance the scope forward. Typically once a loop has formed, it must be straightened before the procedure can continue. Looping is most common in the sigmoid colon, although it can occur anywhere the scope encounters a barrier.
An alpha loop in the sigmoid colon (Sages Image Library)
Topics: colonoscopy, abdominal pain colonoscopy, GI nursing, endoscopy nursing, abdominal pressure colonoscopy, looping in colonoscopy
Part of what makes colonoscopy the gold standard for colon cancer screening is its safety profile. The risk of serious complications is low (perforations and post-procedure bleeding occur in only 0.05% and 0.3% of colonoscopies, respectively). Yet according to a study out of Yale, a far larger percentage of patients return to the emergency room (ER) within seven days of colonoscopy, with far-reaching impacts on cost and patient outcomes.
Topics: colonoscopy, safe patient handling, healthcare costs, patient safety, emergency room, ER after colonoscopy, abdominal pain colonoscopy
