Warm Water Infusion Colonoscopy: Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and study aims: Warm water infusion (WI) instead of traditional air insufflation (AI) during the insertion phase of colonoscopy has been proposed to reduce the pain and to improve patients' acceptance of the procedure. The aim of this systematic review was to compare WI against standard AI according to findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs comparing WI with standard AI was conducted. Primary outcome measures were procedure- (cecal intubation and adenoma detection rates) and patient-related (pain, need for sedation) parameters. Results…