Feasibility of sedation on demand in Taiwan using water exchange and air insufflation: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Completion of colonoscopy without sedation eliminates sedation cost and complications. Reported in the United States and Europe, on‐demand sedation is not routine practice in Taiwan. Water exchange (WE), characterized by infusion and nearly complete removal of infused water during insertion, reduces insertion pain compared to air insufflation (AI) during colonoscopy. We evaluated the feasibility of on‐demand sedation in Taiwan. In a randomized controlled trial of WE vs AI colonoscopy, we also aimed to determine if WE augmented the implementation by reducing insertion pain and decreasing sedation requirement.