Whole bowel irrigation

Whole bowel irrigation (WBI) is a medical process involving the rapid administration of large volumes of an osmotically balanced macrogol solution (GoLYTELY, CoLyte), either orally or via a nasogastric tube, to flush out the entire gastrointestinal tract.

To solve this problem a specialized irrigation fluid was developed consisting mainly of an iso-osmolar solution of macrogol.

[2] WBI has the effect of mechanically flushing the ingested poison out of the gastrointestinal tract before it can be absorbed into the body.

A study in 1987 provided evidence that whole bowel irrigation is an effective and safe gastrointestinal decontamination procedure for acute poisoning.

Whenever vomiting occurs before or during WBI, the rate of the procedure may need to be slowed, alternatives considered, or an antiemetic such as metoclopramide administered.

Studies have shown some of these to be comparable to macrogol solutions in terms of effectiveness and better tolerated by patients due to the lower volume of laxative which must be ingested.