Ispaghula (vi-siblin) versus standard preparation for barium enema

Purpose: to compare 2 methods of colonic cleansing before double-contrast barium enema. A standard preparation of bisacodyl was compared with a preparation of dietary fibre (ispaghula). Material and Methods: the patients referred for double-contrast barium enema were randomly allocated to one of the colonic cleansing regimens. the effectiveness and patient acceptance of the preparations were evaluated. Results: There was a significantly poorer colon cleanness score in the ispaghula group (p=0.0001). Patient tolerance of the 2 regimens was not significantly different. Conclusion: Ispaghula alone is not sufficient as a cleansing preparation for double-contrast barium enema.