WEDNESDAY, May 13, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Lower-volume preparation with 1 L polyethylene glycol (PEG)-ascorbate may be an effective and acceptable option for inpatient colonoscopy, according to a study published online May 5 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.Leonardo Frazzoni, M.D., from the University of Bologna in Rimini, Italy, and colleagues randomly assigned 665 hospitalized adults (1:1:1) undergoing elective colonoscopy to split-dose 1 L PEG-ascorbate, 2 L PEG-ascorbate, or 4 L PEG (228, 218, and 219 patients, respectively).The researchers found that adequate overall cleansing occurred in 82.0 percent of patients assigned to 1 L, 78.0 percent of those assigned to 2 L, and 78.5 percent of those assigned to 4 L, while high-quality overall cleansing occurred in 46.9, 35.3, and 37.4 percent, respectively. For the right colon, high-quality cleansing occurred in 40.6, 29.5, and 31.6 percent, respectively. While tolerability was good across regimens, the highest willingness to repeat was seen in the 1-L group (84.2 percent), despite more frequent vomiting and thirst."These findings support adopting a low-volume regimen as a practical, patient-centered approach to inpatient bowel preparation," the authors write.The study was funded by Norgine.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter