Which Body Position Is Better for Respiration During Colonoscopy?

To determine if body position affects a sedated patient's respiration during colonoscopy, investigators randomized 412 patients to the supine position versus the left lateral decubitus (LLD) position while undergoing colonoscopy with propofol sedation.

There were no serious adverse events associated with either body position and no between-group differences in adenoma detection rates. Patients in the LLD position were more likely to require a position change during colonoscopy than those in the supine position (44.7% vs. 21.8%; P<0.001). However, in the per-protocol analysis, patients in the LLD position were less likely to have hypoxemia (SaO₂ <90%; 11.2% vs. 1.8%; P=0.003).