Abdominal ultrasound after colonoscopy with insufflation of air versus carbon dioxide – a randomised double blind trial

Aims: Colonoscopy is dependent on insufflation of gas to visualize the anatomical and pathological structures. Former trails have shown that air leads to abdominal pain but carbon dioxide reduces pain after colonoscopy significantly. It is often useful to combine abdominal ultrasound with colonoscopy. Study hypothesis: carbon dioxide under colonoscopy minimises examination related symptoms and gives better ultrasound conditions than air. Double blind trial: 30 patients were randomised to carbon dioxide insufflation (n=15, 7 men and 8 women, average age 50 years) or air (n=15, 6 men and 9 women, average age 53 ye…