The effect of eating lollipop at early stage of recovery after gastrointestinal endoscopy under procedural sedation: a randomized controlled trial.

backgroundPatients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy under procedural sedation frequently experience adverse reactions such as hypoglycemia, dizziness, nausea and vomiting during the early post-sedation recovery period. These adverse reactions not only delay the post-procedural recovery process of patients but also further exacerbate their economic and psychological burdens. In light of the significant impact of these adverse reactions on patients' postoperative recovery and quality of life, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of eating lollipop during early recovery after gastrointestinal endoscopy under procedural sedation.

methodsThis study was designed as a randomized controlled trial and conducted from November 2023 to December 2024 in a tertiary hospital in Sichuan Province, China. A total of 628 patients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy under procedural sedation were enrolled as study participants. Ultimately, 496 patients completed the study, with 248 in the observation group (eating lollipop during recovery) and 248 in the control group (routine care). The primary outcome was hypoglycemia at 30 min after the procedure, defined as fingertip blood glucose ≤ 3.9 mmol/L. Secondary outcomes included nausea/vomiting, pain, dizziness, hunger, post-sedation recovery time, comfort score, and documented safety-related events. Effect estimates and adjusted odds ratios were calculated.

resultsCompared with the control group, patients in the observation group exhibited a significant decrease in the incidence of hypoglycemia (3.2% in the observation group vs. 8.5% in the control group)[absolute risk reduction, 5.2 percentage points (95% CI, 1.1-9.3); relative risk, 0.38 (95% CI, 0.17-0.84)]. After adjustment for clinically relevant covariates, eating lollipop remained associated with lower odds of hypoglycemia (adjusted OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.13-0.80; P = 0.020). Additionally, the incidence of nausea and vomiting was also notably reduced in the observation group (4.0% in the observation group vs. 10.5% in the control group, adjusted OR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.17-0.93; P = 0.039). Comfort scores were higher in the observation group [98 (95, 100) vs. 96 (95, 99); P < 0.001].During the process of eating lollipops, none of the patients in the observation group exhibited adverse events such as aspiration, suffocation, dyspnea, coughing, or choking.

conclusionFor patients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy under procedural sedation, Eating lollipop during early post-sedation recovery was associated with lower rates of hypoglycaemia and nausea and vomiting, with a small increase in comfort score. These findings should be interpreted cautiously because glucose was measured at a single time point.

trial registrationClinical trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2300077983); date of registration: November 27, 2023. The first participant was enrolled on November 29, 2023.