A randomised trial of hospital versus home administered enemas for flexible sigmoidoscopy.

For flexible sigmoidoscopy adequate preparation of the left side of the colon is essential. This is often achieved by administration of a phosphate enema by nursing staff in the endoscopy department. Patients may find the procedure embarrassing; it is also time consuming for the nurses. Home administered oral bowel preparation has been reported as safe, cheap, and effective, but no studies have compared home with hospital administration of enemas. We report a randomised trial of hospital administered enemas versus enemas administered by patients at home.