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Previous studies have shown that endoscopic polyp detection deteriorates as the day progresses (JW Gastroenterol Sep 4 2009 and Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2009; 7:1217). To examine this issue further, investigators performed a retrospective, cross-sectional study involving 3421 patients undergoing outpatient screening colonoscopy at a single hospital by 20 attending gastroenterologists.
The polyp detection rate was higher in colonoscopies initiated before 9:00 AM than in those initiated after 4:00 PM (48.6% vs. 34.0%; P=0.04). Multivariate analysis showed that the odds of polyp detection were progressively lower with each hour (odds ratio, 0.93). Also, the chance of polyp detection was lower in the last 1.5 hours than in the first 1.5 hours …