Download Preparing for your Colonoscopy

Arrival at Lakeview Hospital
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Check into Admitting located on the lower level of the hospital.
Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Leave jewelry and valuables at home.
You will be asked to change into an exam gown and robe.
Your health history, medications and allergies will be verified.
Side effects and risks of the procedure will be discussed. A consent will be
signed after all of your questions have been answered.
• An IV (intravenous line) will be started.
During your Procedure
• A physician and specially trained registered nurse will be with you
throughout the procedure.
• Your heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels will be monitored.
• You will lie on your left side.
• You will be given medication to relax you and minimize discomfort. Be sure
to let your nurse and/or physician know if you are uncomfortable so we can
adjust your medication.
• The physician may do a biopsy (taking tiny pieces of tissue from your colon)
or a polypectomy (surrounding and burning off a polyp or small growth
on the lining of your colon) depending on what he/she sees. Taking the
specimens is painless.
• The procedure time is approximately 20-40 minutes.
After your Procedure
• You will be asked to rest for approximately 30 minutes after your procedure.
• Your family/friend will be allowed to visit.
• Your physician/registered nurse will discuss the results of your procedure
with you.
• If specimens were taken during the procedure they will be sent to the lab
and you will be contacted with the results in 7-14 days.
• Your nurse will review discharge instructions with you and your responsible
adult caregiver and address any questions or concerns.
• If you wish to be contacted by a registered nurse the next business day to
check on how you are doing after your procedure, please provide us with a
contact number (home or work).
• After your procedure you cannot drive for the remainder of the day.
927 Churchill Street West | Stillwater, MN 55082
651-439-1234 | 800-423-7212
lakeviewhealth.org
365-12-X
Rev 01/15
Preparing for your Colonoscopy
(Miralax, Gatorade, Bisacodyl and Magnesium Citrate) - May use generics.
Patient Name___________________________________________________
Date of Procedure_______________________________________________
Arrival Time____________________________________________________
Physician _____________________________________________________
If you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment, please call
our Endoscopy Department as soon as possible at 651-430-8701.
YOU CANNOT DRIVE YOURSELF HOME
You will be given medication to help you relax and to minimize
discomfort. You will be unable to drive and must arrange for
transportation home with a responsible adult who is available
to accompany you into your home and remain with you for a
reasonable period of time. You will not be allowed to take a
cab or other transportation service. If you do not have a driver,
your procedure will be cancelled.
If you have any questions, please contact our Registered Nurse Endoscopy
Admissions Coordinator in our scheduling office at 651-430-8701. We are open
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Thank you for choosing Lakeview Hospital for your healthcare needs. The following
information will assist you in preparing for your procedure. Please read carefully and
follow the instructions closely.
You are scheduled for a colonoscopy, a procedure in which a physician examines
the lining of your large intestine by looking through a flexible tube called a
colonoscope. If growths or other abnormalities are found during the procedure,
the physician may remove the abnormal tissue for closer examination or biopsy.
One Week Prior
• Purchase (over the counter):
1. Miralax Powder, 8.3 oz. (238) gram bottle - May use generics.
2. Bisacodyl (Dulcolax laxative), 2 tablets (5 mg each)
Two Days Prior
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water throughout the day.
• Do not eat solid foods after midnight tonight.
• If you have history of Constipation: Drink one 10 ounce bottle of
magnesium citrate at 6:00 pm today. (You will also drink another bottle on
the day of procedure.)
One Day Prior
• Begin a clear liquid diet. This may include water, clear broth or bouillon,
coffee or tea (without milk or non-dairy creamer), Gatorade, Pedialyte,
carbonated and noncarbonated soft drinks, Kool-Aid or other fruit-flavored
drinks, strained fruit juices (no pulp), Jell-O, popsicles and hard candy.
3. Gatorade, 64 oz. Select yellow, green, orange or clear flavors - no purple
or red; regular Gatorade or Gatorade G2 is acceptable. Refrigerate Gatorade if
you wish to drink it cold. DO NOT substitute: the electrolytes in Gatorade are
important for colon preparation. DO NOT use powdered Gatorade.
• NO red or purple liquids. No milk products, no alcohol, no solids.
4. Magnesium Citrate, 10 oz. bottle (no red or purple liquids). Purchase 2
bottles if you have a history of constipation.
• Between 4:00 and 6:00 PM, mix Miralax Powder 8.3 oz. (238 grams) with
64 ounces of Gatorade in a pitcher or other container. Drink one 8 ounce
glass of the solution and continue drinking one 8 ounce glass every 15
minutes until the mixture is gone.
• Note: Oral laxatives may cause mild cramping, bloating or nausea. Always
stay near a toilet when using laxatives.
• If you take medications containing iron or fish oil, discontinue them 7
days before your appointment. This includes multi-vitamins with iron.
• If you have diabetes, ask your regular physician for diet and medication
instructions. Gatorade G2 contains less sugar.
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water throughout the day.
• At 12:00 noon, take the two (2) tablets of bisacodyl (Dulcolax).
• Try sucking on a few hard candies (not red or purple) between glasses, if
needed.
• If you experience nausea or vomiting, rinse your mouth with water and take
a 15- to 30-minute break. Then resume drinking the prep solution.
• If you take a medication to thin your blood, and have not already
discussed this with our office, please call our scheduling office. Aspirin may
be continued.
Day of Procedure
• If you are pregnant or think you may be, please note bowel cleaning
products have not been researched/tested on pregnant women. Please
discuss risks and benefits of this procedure with your physician.
• You may take your morning medications with a half glass of water.
Three Days Prior
• Stop consuming all high fiber foods.
• Begin a low fiber diet (low fiber diet instructions are included in your
packet). No Metamucil, Fibercon, bran or bulking agents.
• Remember - you must have a driver accompany you home after your
procedure and remain with you for a reasonable amount of time. Your
driver will be asked to sign your discharge instructions because you
have received sedation.
• Four hours before your procedure, drink one 10 ounce bottle of magnesium
citrate followed by 8 ounces of water.
• If you have sleep apnea, please bring your CPAP machine with you.
• Be sure to bring an adult driver and your insurance card.
• You may drink clear liquids up to 4 hours before your procedure, then take
nothing by mouth.
• If you have followed the instructions and your stool is no longer formed but
clear or yellow liquid, you are ready for the exam. If you are unsure that your
colon is clean, call us at 651-430-8701.
• Remember - you must have a driver to accompany you home and sign your
discharge instructions.
• You cannot drive the remainder of the day after your procedure.