Colon capsule

Gastroenterology

This guide will help prepare you for the days leading up to your colon capsule endoscopy procedure.

7 days before your procedure

• We will need you to stop any iron tablets or iron supplements.
• We will need you to stop any codeine tablets or tablets containing codeine.

This should have been discussed with you at your pre-assessment telephone appointment. If you have any questions, please contact the capsule specialist nurses on telephone: 01642 944300, ext 34661

5 days before your procedure

Examples of foods you can eat:

• White flour products (bread, pasta, etc.)
• White rice and potatoes
• Eggs
• Oils (olive, rapeseed, soy)
• Dairy products including butter, margarine, and mayonnaise
• Unseasoned white meat or fish
• Chocolate and sweets (without fruits or nuts)

• Tea and coffee with milk and sugar or sweeteners

Examples of food you cannot eat:

• All fruits and vegetables
• Any wholegrain product
• All breakfast cereals
• Instant soup
• Red meat
• All legumes (beans, peas and lentils)
• All varieties of nuts

• Fruit or vegetable juice

The day before your procedure

You may only consume clear liquids throughout the day and cannot eat any food. We would like you to drink approximately 8 glasses (240 ml each) of clear liquids. This will help you stay hydrated and clean your bowel. Examples of clear liquids are listed below:

• Water
• Clear or fizzy sports drinks
• Tea or coffee without milk
• Ice lollies or flavoured jelly
• Apple juice or clear fruit cordial
• Chewing gum or boiled sweets (boiled sweets should be dissolved slowly)

NOTE:

• No red or purple colours

• No broth or soup

We ask if you can take your morning medication after swallowing the pillcam in the hospital. This maybe a little later than usual. Any concerns please contact the capsule endoscopy team on telephone: 01642 854451

Before you take Plenvu

Please contact us on telephone 01642 854451 if you have ever suffered with any of the following:

• Gut blockage or perforation
• Ileus (loss of muscle action in the gut)
• Retention of food in the stomach
• An ulcer in your gut
• Toxic or ulcerative colitis (inflammation of the colon) difficulty in swallowing
• Reflux oesophagitis
• If you are currently pregnant or breastfeeding

When to take Plenvu

On the day before the procedure:

• Take the first sachet (dose 1) at 6pm.
• Take the second sachet (A and B mixed together) at 5am on the morning of the procedure.

How to take Moviprep

1. Empty dose 1 into a container and make up to 500ml with water and stir until dissolved. Pour an additional 500ml of clear fluid into a separate container. Drink the full contents of dose 1 and the additional 500ml of clear fluids over 60 minutes, alternating between the containers.
2. Take the second dose by mixing together dose 2 sachets A & B with 500ml water at the time detailed above. Alternate between drinking the 500ml plenvu solution and 500ml of clear water.
3. You should start opening your bowels 1 to 2 hours after starting to take Plenvu. As it cleans your gut, it will make you produce watery bowel movements like diarrhoea.

What about side effects?

If you feel bloated or get stomach cramps, try taking the Plenvu more slowly. A few people feel sick or are sick. Sometimes there is soreness around the anus (bottom). If you get any of these effects, it should pass quickly.

Rarely, people are allergic to Plenvu and may get an itchy skin rash (hives). If you do get a rash or any other symptoms which concern you, please refer to your GP or the capsule nurse specialist team.

How to store Plenvu

Store the sachets in a dry place at room temperature. It is best to make up and use the solution as you need it. If there is any mixed solution left after 12 hours, throw it away.

We ask you to drink the Plenvu at 5am, so even if it takes you 2 hours to drink, by the time of your appointment, the Plenvu should have cleared your bowel, so you should not have to stop for the toilet on route to the hospital.

If you are travelling a long way to the hospital (over a one hour journey) we aim to give you an appointment after 9am for the pillcam. This should have been discussed at the pre-assessment telephone appointment.

You can contact us on telephone 01642 854451 if you have further concerns.

Day of the procedure

We will ask you to sign consent for the procedure. You will have plenty of time to talk to the capsule nurse specialist before swallowing the pillcam.

We will give you a small tablet called prucalopride. This is used to speed up the movement of fluid through the gut and has been shown to result in a more successful procedure. We will ask you to wait in the waiting area for 15 to 30 minutes.

We will then fit you for the sensor belt which will be worn over clothes. The sensor belt connects to a data recorder worn around your body that will fit in a pouch with a strap around your shoulder.

We will then help you to swallow the pillcam with as much fluid as needed. A nurse will be with you the whole time.

If you feel happy, we will then ask you to go home wearing the sensor belt and data recorder You can carry on with your usual activities. Ensure there is a toilet nearby at all times.

The data recorder will provide you with alerts and prompts as the procedure continues, this is to encourage the pill to pass through your gut quickly.

After the procedure

The procedure is finished when you pass the pill out into the toilet. The time it takes to pass out is different for everyone but on average it is usually between 3to 7 hours after swallowing the pill.

Once the pill is passed out, we recommend that you sit down on a sofa or bed to remove the kit, to avoid anything dropping to the floor.

Remove your shoulder strap with the recorder and remove the sensor belt as instructed by the nurse and return the equipment to the endoscopy reception at James Cook Hospital the next day between 8am and 6pm.

Your doctor or nurse specialist will review the image results and determine the best next steps for your care. This can take up to 8 weeks.

Patient experience

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust would like your feedback. If you wish to share your experience about your care and treatment or on behalf of a patient, please contact The Patient Experience Department who will advise you on how best to do this.

This service is based at The James Cook University Hospital but also covers the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton, our community hospitals and community health services.

To ensure we meet your communication needs please inform the patient experience department of any special requirements, for example; braille or large print by emailing: [email protected]

The James Cook University Hospital, Marton Road, Middlesbrough, TS4 3BW.
Telephone: 01642 850850

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