Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39955567›Full record

Trial reportEuropean journal of medical research2025

A prospective, single-blinded, non-inferiority, randomized controlled study comparing the effectiveness and safety of oral lactulose combined with carbohydrate-containing clear liquids versus 3-L polyethylene glycol electrolyte for colonoscopy bowel preparation.

Chen Huang, Hongli Liu, Jing Luo, Zhe Xu, Jibin Li, Xu Tian

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialEquivalence Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in European journal of medical research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Chen HuangDepartment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
Hongli LiuDepartment of Gastroenterology, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, 400799, China.
Jing LuoDepartment of Clinical Nutrition, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400799, China.
Zhe XuDepartment of Nutrition, The Chenggong Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China.
Jibin LiDepartment of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China. 100091@cqmu.edu.cn.
Xu TianChongqing Center for Evidence-Based Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Chongqing, 400020, China. xu.tian@alumni.urv.cat.

Funding

Chen Xiao-Ping Foundation for the Development of Science and Technology in Hubei Province CXPJJH122001-2225.
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPolyethylene glycol electrolyte solution (PEG-ELS) is the standard for bowel preparation but often suffers from poor patient compliance and tolerability due to its high-volume requirement. This prospective, single-blinded, non-inferiority, randomized control trial aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of a lactulose-based regimen as an alternative for bowel preparation.

methodsTwo hundred nine patients were randomly allocated to receive either a combination regimen consisting of 133.4 g lactulose in 200 mL, 800 mL carbohydrate-containing clear liquid, 2L additional water, and 5 g simethicone (n = 104) or 3L PEG-ELS with 5 g simethicone (n = 105), both administered in a split-dose format. The primary outcome was the rate of adequate bowel preparation, measured by the Boston bowel preparation score (BBPS). Adequate bowel preparation was defined as a BBPS score of 2 or 3 in all colon segments. Secondary outcomes included the percentage of high-quality bowel preparation (defining as a total BBPS score of 8 or 9), polyp detection rate (defining as the percentage of procedures where at least one polyp was detected), willingness to repeat the bowel preparation, adverse events, and changes in blood glucose and electrolyte levels.

resultsThe rate of adequate bowel preparation (96.2% vs. 97.1%, p = 0.691), the percentage of high-quality preparation (62.5% vs. 66.7%, p = 0.529), average total BBPS scores (p = 0.607), polyp detection rates (66.3% vs. 77.1%, p = 0.083), and tolerability and acceptability outcomes, including satisfaction (p = 0.729) and willingness to repeat preparation (p = 0.744), were not statistically different between the two arms. Adverse events and changes in blood glucose and electrolytes showed no significant differences (all p > 0.05).

conclusionThe combination of oral lactulose and carbohydrate-containing clear fluids was non-inferior to 3L PEG-ELS for bowel preparation adequacy and polyp detection, without statistically significant differences in terms of tolerability and safety.

Indexed as

CatharticsColonoscopyElectrolytesLactulosePolyethylene GlycolsAdministration, OralAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesSingle-Blind MethodCatharticsElectrolytesLactulosePolyethylene GlycolsBowel preparationCarbohydrate-containing clear liquidsColonoscopyLactulosePolyethylene glycol electrolyte

Identifiers

PMID39955567
PMCPMC11829565

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.