In Reply to ‘Sodium Phosphate Enema, Colonoscopy, and Kidney Injury: An Unproven Association’
Although sodium phosphate enemas are not considered part of standard colonoscopy bowel preparation, they are frequently used for this purpose. Fleet’s product labeling states that the sodium phosphate enema is “useful[…]as part of a bowel cleansing regimen in preparing the colon for endoscopic examination.”1(p1) In our study, sodium phosphate enemas were ordered for 9% of procedures; of these procedures, 89% involved coprescription of PEG. With standard bowel preparation, inadequate bowel cleansing is reported in as many as 20% to 25% of colonoscopies.