Introduction
Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the second leading cause of cancer death in the United
States. Colonoscopy has been shown to reduce risk of death from CRC through the prompt
identification and removal of premalignant adenomas or early stage cancerous lesions
[1]. Indeed, the increased utilization of screening colonoscopy has been associated
with a 30 % reduction in cancer deaths due to CRC in the past decade [2]. Yet the reported impact of colonoscopy on CRC incidence has been widely variable,
presumably due to discrepancies in the quality of the procedure [3]
The adenoma detection rate (ADR), defined as the proportion of screening colonoscopies
performed by a provider with the detection of at least 1 histologically confirmed
adenoma or adenocarcinoma, has been emphasized as an important quality indicator for
colonoscopy, given the supporting evidence on ADR and its impact on CRC [4]. Therefore, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy/American College
of Gastroenterology Task Force on Quality in Endoscopy has recently proposed ADR targets
of ≥ 30 % in men and ≥ 20 % in women [5]. Furthermore, in the setting of recent data demonstrating a 3.0 % decrease in the
risk of interval CRC with each 1.0 % increase in ADR [6], it is not surprising that there has been an increased emphasis on identifying and
regulating factors that contribute to variability in adenoma detection and thereby
improve quality of colonoscopies among practitioners.
Luminal distention during colonoscopy is necessary to allow adequate inspection of
the colonic mucosa. Room air insufflation (AI) traditionally has been the most commonly
used method for bowel insufflation during colonoscopy. More recently, there has been
increasing data supporting the use carbon dioxide (CO2) as an alternate method for luminal distention. CO2 is more rapidly absorbed across the intestines when compared to air and it has been
shown in a large meta-analysis to be associated with a reduction in procedure-related
pain [7]
[8]
[9]
[10]. However, data are limited on the impact of CO2 insufflation (CO2I) on ADR. The aim of this study was to (1) compare ADR in patients undergoing screening
colonoscopy with CO2I versus AI and to (2) identify factors influencing ADR in patients undergoing screening
colonoscopy in a tertiary-care endoscopy unit.
Patients and methods
Study design and patients
The study was approved by the institutional review board (IRB) of the University of
Florida in which a waiver for informed consent was obtained. To be eligible for inclusion
in this report, the endoscopic database at the University of Florida Health (UF Health)
was retrospectively searched for all patients who had undergone a screening colonoscopy
between November 2011 and June 2015. Eligibility was restricted to those with average
CRC risk. Patients were excluded if they had a personal or first-degree relative family
history of CRC, history of colon polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, gastrointestinal
bleeding, prior history of partial colon resection, and/or an aborted procedure (i. e.
due to unsatisfactory bowel preparation, patient intolerance, procedure-related factors)
based on information from the endoscopic database and/or electronic chart record.
Informed procedural consents were obtained from all patients.
Colonoscopy procedure
All patients underwent screening colonoscopies by 1 of the 24 experienced board-certified
gastroenterologists or by gastroenterology fellows (first- to third-year of fellowship
training) under direct supervision of a staff attending. The bowel preparation agent
used was predominantly 4 L of polyethylene glycol solution. Bowel preparation quality
was rated as excellent, good, fair, or poor based on the Aronchick scale [11]. All colonoscopies were performed under provider-anesthesiologist-administered conscious
sedation (fentanyl and midazolam) or propofol sedation. Cecal intubation was documented
by the endoscopist using landmark descriptions (i. e. identification of the ileocecal
valve and/or appendiceal orifice). Total procedure time (defined as amount of time
from scope insertion to scope removal from the patient) and withdrawal time (defined
as the amount of time spent examining the mucosa as the colonoscope is withdrawn)
were recorded prospectively and documented in the electronic report by the nurses.
Air insufflation was used for luminal distention in all screening colonoscopies prior
to January 21st, 2013. Following that date, routine use of CO2 for insufflation was adopted universally for all endoscopic procedures in our institution.
Data collection
Demographic information and histopathology reports were obtained from chart review.
Patient demographics included age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) physical
status grade, and body mass index (BMI). Adenomas were classified as tubular, tubulovillous,
villous or carcinoma based on the Vienna criteria [12]. Dysplasia was defined as either low-grade or high-grade. Colonoscopy-related data
obtained from the prospectively maintained report generating database included: type
of sedation, quality of bowel preparation, fellow involvement, cecal intubation, total
procedure time, withdrawal time, and number of polyps removed. Endoscopic adverse
events (AEs) were defined based on previously established criteria by the American
Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) [13]. AEs were determined by reviewing the colonoscopy report and the immediate post-procedural
note.
Study outcomes
The primary aim of this study was to compare the ADR in patients undergoing screening
colonoscopy with AI versus CO2I. ADR was defined as the proportion of colonoscopies in which at least 1 histologically
confirmed adenoma was detected. A secondary aim was to identify factors associated
with ADR in our cohort.
Statistical methods
Baseline characteristics for [Table 1] between the 2 cohorts AI and CO2I were compared by (a) the Student’s t-test with the Satterthwaite correction for unequal variances for quantitative variables
(age, BMI, total procedure time, and scope withdrawal time); (b) Pearson’s chi-square
for binary variables (gender, fellow-involvement, cecal intubation); and (c) the Wilcoxon
test for ordinal variables (ASA score and Bowel preparation grading).
Table 1
Study population.
Variable
|
AI
(n = 644)
|
CO2I
(n = 1463)
|
P value
|
Age, mean ± SD (years)
|
58.7 ± 8.9
|
59.1 ± 8.7
|
0.32
|
Gender
Male, n (%)
|
289 (44.9)
|
680 (46.5)
|
0.50
|
BMI, mean ± SD
|
32.2 ± 9.4
|
31.5 ± 8.8
|
0.14
|
ASA score
I
II
III
IV
|
25 (3.9)
286 (44.4)
316 (49.1)
17 (2.6)
|
50 (3.4)
625 (42.7)
719 (49.2)
69 (4.7)
|
0.18
|
Fellow involvement, n (%)
|
320 (49.7)
|
553 (37.8)
|
< .001
|
Bowel preparation grading
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
|
104 (16.2)
386 (59.9)
111 (17.2)
43 (6.7)
|
187 (12.8)
836 (57.1)
320 (21.9)
120 (8.2)
|
0.0016
|
Cecal intubation rate, n (%)
|
638 (99.1)
|
1437 (98.2)
|
0.14
|
Total procedure time, mean ± SD (minutes)
|
20.9 ± 9.9
|
19.6 ± 9.6
|
0.0022
|
Scope withdrawal time, mean ± SD (minutes)
|
10.2 ± 6.9
|
9.4 ± 6.4
|
0.023
|
AI, air insufflation; CO2I, carbon dioxide insufflation; SD, standard deviation.
Univariate analysis for [Table 2] and [Table 3] was conducted by univariate and multiple logistic regression. The odds ratios for
the quantitative independent variables in [Table 3] reflect the ratio of odds, for 2 subjects with 1 with a value 1 unit higher than
the other, but otherwise equivalent on other covariates in the model, if any, higher
value to lower value. The multivariate model estimates the odds ratio (and compares
it to the null value of 1.00) adjusting for all other variables in the model. Significance
in the multiple regression model means that the variable has independent significant
prognostic value that cannot be accounted for by the other variables in the model.
Table 2
Histologic classification of adenomatous polyps.
Pathology
|
AI
(n = 644)
|
CO2I
(n = 1463)
|
OR (95 % CI)
|
P value
|
Tubular adenoma, n (%)
|
156 (24.22)
|
379 (25.91)
|
0.91 (0.74 – 1.13)
|
0.41
|
Tubulovillous adenoma, n (%)
|
23 (3.57)
|
50 (3.42)
|
1.05 (0.63 – 1.73)
|
0.86
|
Villous adenoma, n (%)
|
5 (0.78)
|
4 (0.27)
|
2.85 (0.76 – 10.66)
|
0.10
|
Adenocarcinoma, n (%)
|
0
|
5 (0.34)
|
–
|
0.14
|
AI, air insufflation; CO2I, carbon dioxide insufflation.
Table 3
Factors associated with ADR.
Clinical variable
|
Univariate analysis
|
Multivariate Analysis
|
|
OR (95 % CI)
|
P value
|
OR (95 % CI)
|
P value
|
Age (years)
|
1.02 (1.004 – 1.026)
|
.0067
|
1.02 (1.001 – 1.028)
|
0.034
|
Gender (male vs. female)
|
1.56 (1.29 – 1.89)
|
< .001
|
1.48 (1.17 – 1.87)
|
0.001
|
BMI (kg/M2)
|
1.00 (0.99 – 1.01)
|
0.87
|
1.01 (0.99 – 1.02)
|
0.51
|
ASA score
1 vs. 2,3 and/or 4
|
1.56 (0.88 – 2.77)
|
0.13
|
1.61 (0.84 – 3.12)
|
0.15
|
Type of sedation
(conscious sedation vs. propofol)
|
0.99 (0.81 – 1.22)
|
0.93
|
1.02 (0.71 – 1.45)
|
0.93
|
Fellow involvement (yes vs. no)
|
1.00 (0.82 – 1.21)
|
0.98
|
0.60 (0.47 – 0.77)
|
< .001
|
Quality of bowel preparation
(excellent vs good/fair/poor)
|
1.43 (1.06 – 1.92)
|
0.018
|
1.37 (0.96 – 1.96)
|
0.087
|
Cecal intubation (yes vs. no)
|
2.10 (0.80 – 5.47)
|
0.13
|
1.18 (0.23 – 5.94)
|
0.84
|
Total procedure time (Min)
|
1.06 (1.05 – 1.07)
|
< .001
|
1.01(0.99 – 1.02)
|
0.55
|
Scope withdrawal time (Min)
|
1.13 (1.11 – 1.15)
|
< .001
|
1.13 (1.10 – 1.16)
|
< .001
|
Type of insufflation (AI vs. CO2I)
|
0.99 (0.81 – 1.22)
|
0.93
|
0.90 (0.69 – 1.17)
|
0.41
|
AI, air insufflation; CO2I, carbon dioxide insufflation.
All P values are 2-sided. SAS (Statistical Analysis Systems) version 9.4 was used in all
of the analyses.
Results
Study population
A total of 2107 screening colonoscopies were performed among the eligible patients
during the study period. Of these colonoscopies, 644 (30.6 %) were performed with
AI compared to 1463 (69.4 %) with CO2I ([Table 1]). There were no significant differences in age, gender, BMI or ASA score between
patients undergoing colonoscopy with AI vs. CO2I. The cecal intubation rate was also similar between the 2 groups (99.1 % in the
AI group vs. 98.2 % in the CO2I group; P = 0.14). The total procedure time and scope withdrawal time were slightly longer
in patients undergoing colonoscopy with AI vs. CO2I. Fellows were more commonly involved in colonoscopies with AI (49.7 %) vs. CO2I (37.8 %) (P < 0.001). The average scope withdrawal time was longer when a fellow was involved/present
during the procedure (11.5 ± 7.5 min vs. 8.3 ± 5.5 min; P < 0.001). Cumulatively, the quality of the bowel preparation was rated better in
patients undergoing colonoscopies with AI vs. CO2I (P = 0.0016).
Adenoma detection rate
Overall, a total of 622 adenomatous lesions were detected in this study. The cumulative
ADR in this study was 27.8 %. There was no statistically significant difference in
the ADR in patients undergoing colonoscopy with AI (178/644; 27.6 %) vs. CO2I (407/1463; 27.8 %) (P = 0.93). The histologic classification of the adenomatous polyps detected was also
similar in both groups ([Table 2]). Overall, tubular adenoma was the most common histopathology reported for both
groups (P = 0.41). There were a total of 5 adenocarcinomas diagnosed on histopathology, all
from patients who underwent CO2I (P = 0.14). Only a small number of adenomas detected during colonoscopies with AI (4.3 %)
and CO2I (3.9 %) revealed high-grade dysplasia (OR 0.89; 95 % CI: 0.38 – 2.09).
Factors associated with ADR
Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors
associated with ADR ([Table 3]). The variables included were age, gender, BMI, fellow involvement (yes vs. no),
cecal intubation (yes vs. no), scope withdrawal time, total procedure time, type of
sedation (conscious sedation vs. propofol), quality of bowel preparation and method
of bowel insufflation (AI vs CO2I). Patient characteristics, including older age and male gender, were associated
with a higher ADR in both univariate and multivariate analysis. While both scope withdrawal
time and total procedure time correlated positively with ADR on univariate analysis,
only scope withdrawal time was found to positively impact ADR on multivariate analysis.
Neither type of sedation nor method of bowel insufflation (AI vs. CO2I) had a significant association with ADR. Quality of bowel preparation was also not
significantly associated with ADR (OR 1.37; 95 % CI: 0.96 – 1.96). On the other hand,
fellow involvement during the colonoscopy was the only covariate that was negatively
associated with ADR on multivariate analysis.
Adverse events
There were no procedural or sedation-related AEs reported in the prospective colonoscopy
database or in the immediate postoperative note on chart review. Overall, 28 procedures
(1.3 %) were aborted due to inadequate bowel preparation and/or tortuous colon as
indicated on the colonoscopy report. There were a total of 6 cases terminated prematurely
due to patient discomfort. Out of these, 4 cases were done with AI vs 2 with CO2I (P = 0.07).
Discussion
Colonoscopy is considered the gold standard for CRC screening. The effectiveness of
this strategy at reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with CRC is dependent
on optimal detection and resection of premalignant or early stage cancerous lesions.
Hence, ADR is currently regarded as the most important measure of quality in colonoscopy.
In this study, there was no difference in ADR in patients undergoing screening colonoscopy
with AI versus those with CO2I after adjusting for patient and procedural variables.
AI is the most commonly utilized method for colonic insufflation during colonoscopy.
More recently, alternate methods of luminal distention, such as water-assisted colonoscopy
and CO2I, have been sought as to reduce post-procedural patient pain and bloating associated
with AI. Yet the current literature on methods of bowel distention and its effect
on ADR is scarce. In a recent Cochrane review, Hafner et al. compared technical quality
and screening efficacy between patients undergoing AI versus water infusion during
colonoscopy [14]. Their analysis, which included 16 randomized controlled trials consisting of 2933
colonoscopies, showed a slight improvement in ADR with water infusion vs. AI (risk
ratio 1.16; 95 % CI: 1.04 – 1.30, P = 0.007). It has been speculated that this increase in ADR may be secondary to additional
bowel lavage with water infusion, with the drawback of significantly longer insertion
time [15]. Conversely, the previous literature on the impact of CO2I on ADR has been limited to a single abstract submission by Mills and colleagues[16]. The preliminary results from their retrospective review suggested a higher ADR
in patients with CO2I vs. AI for colonoscopy (OR 1.36; 95 % CI: 1.01 – 1.85). However, information on
whether and how these findings were adjusted for other potential confounding factors
was unavailable, which makes the interpretation of their results difficult. In our
study of 2107 screening colonoscopies, there was no significant difference in ADR
between patients undergoing the procedure with AI vs. CO2I. Furthermore, method of bowel insufflation (AI vs. CO2I) was not found to be significantly correlated with ADR (OR 1.12; 95 % CI: 0.87 – 1.45)
after adjusting for patient characteristics (age, gender, BMI) and procedural variations
(fellow involvement, cecal intubation rate, type of sedation, quality of bowel preparation,
total procedure and scope withdrawal time). Nonetheless, while our current data did
not demonstrate a potential advantage of CO2I over AI on ADR, several other studies have alluded to the benefits of CO2I in terms of patient comfort and satisfaction [10]
[17]
[18]. Congruent with prior findings, in this study we demonstrated that a slightly higher
number of cases cancelled due to patient discomfort when the procedure was performed
with AI vs. CO2I; albeit this difference did not quite reach statistical significance (P = 0.07). In general, patient acceptability and tolerability would intuitively seem
to improve the efficacy of the procedure. Whether the overall widely reported positive
perception and attitude towards CO2I during colonoscopy actually translates to higher compliance and thereby effective
screening remains to be determined.
Differences in patient demographics and procedure-related factors have varying effects
on the ADR. Both older age and male gender have been shown to be independently associated
with a higher ADR on previous studies [19]
[20]. Our results are in line with these prior reports as both increasing age and male
gender positively correlated with ADR. Similarly, procedural process measures, particularly
scope withdrawal time, have been linked with ADR and hence the quality of the examination.
In a landmark study by Barclay and colleagues, mean withdrawal times of 6 minutes
or more were found to have higher rates of detection of neoplasia (28.3 % vs. 11.8 %,
P < 0.001) [21]. Several other studies have further confirmed a linear correlation between withdrawal
time and ADR [22]
[23]. In our study, the mean withdrawal time was more than 6 minutes in patients undergoing
colonoscopy irrespective of method of insufflation. Congruent with prior studies,
this study demonstrated that longer scope withdrawal time was associated with a higher
ADR (OR 1.13; 95 % CI: 1.1 – 1.16). Our findings further corroborate the importance
of withdrawal time as a surrogate marker for the thoroughness and quality of the examination
for the detection of neoplastic lesions during colonoscopy.
In this study, fellow involvement was associated with a decrease in ADR in multivariate
analysis ([Table 3]). The current available data on the effect of fellow involvement in colonoscopy
on ADR is conflicting, with some studies supporting a positive correlation [24], whereas others suggesting no effect or a lower ADR [25]. This discrepancy among studies may be in part associated with differences in the
level of training of fellows included as well as with the degree of supervision provided
by the staff endoscopist at the time of the procedure. In this study, fellow involvement
was negatively associated with ADR even though the average withdrawal time was significantly
longer when a fellow was present. Future prospective studies are needed to clarify
the association between fellow involvement and ADR. This is not only imperative in
order to maintain quality of care but also to identify benchmarks during colonoscopy
training.
Our findings should be interpreted in light of the strengths and limitations of the
study. The main strengths of our study are the comprehensive and detailed assessment
of ADR in 2107 colonoscopies performed in our institution. Multiple established quality
indicators were all collected prospectively over a 4-year period and included in our
analysis. Our findings on the effect of patient demographics (age, gender) and procedure
parameters (scope withdrawal time) on ADR are in line with those previously reported
and allude to the validity of the study. Furthermore, this is the first study evaluating
the impact of CO2I vs. AI on ADR. Our findings suggest that CO2I did not significantly correlate with ADR after adjusting for patient and procedural
covariates. With the increasing number of reports supporting the use of CO2I for endoscopic procedures in regards to patient comfort and post-procedural recovery,
further prospective studies evaluating its effect on ADR and thereby the effectiveness
of the colonoscopy are needed. We also recognize the limitations of our study. First,
the study was performed in a single tertiary care center and results may not be generalizable
to all ambulatory endoscopic units. Furthermore, this was a retrospective study with
its inherent limitations, including baseline differences in rate of fellow involvement,
quality of bowel preparation, and procedural time between patients undergoing colonoscopy
with AI vs. CO2I. Nonetheless, the effect of these variables was adjusted by performing a multivariate
analysis to specifically determine whether any of the confounding variables contributed
specifically to the ADR. Furthermore, data on the type of colonoscopes (i. e. standard
definition vs. high-definition) used in this study was not readily available in the
final analysis. Our ongoing data extraction suggests that close to 90 % of all cases
in both groups were performed with high-definition colonoscopes (data not shown).
While we recognize that differences in the type of colonoscopes between the 2 groups
may affect the interpretability of our findings, its impact on polyp or adenoma detection
rate remains debatable based on the conflicting literature [26]
[27]
[28]. Lastly, while the adequacy of bowel cleansing has been clearly linked to ADR, the
quality of bowel preparation was not significantly associated with ADR in our study
(OR 1.4; 95 % CI: 0.96 – 1.96). This difference could potentially be explained by
the bowel cleansing grading used in this cohort (Aronchick scale), which was specifically
designed and validated to compare the efficacy of purgatives rather than outcomes
such as ADR.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the detection of adenomatous polyps in
preventive colonoscopy was not significantly increased by the use of CO2I compared to AI. While the implementation of CO2I has been clearly associated with improved patient comfort and post-procedural recovery
time, there is no definitive evidence to suggest that this method of luminal distention
enhances ADR. Future prospective trials are needed to compare the effect of different
methods of luminal distention on ADR and on the overall effectiveness of screening
colonoscopy.