When your patient is going in for their colonoscopy, it can be nerve wrecking for both you and the patient, but remember there are Pentax scopes that have been manufactured for this very thing. Having top of the line equipment is important to you, because you are relying on these scopes to go into tight spaces and look around. The flexibility of Pentax scopes enables them to wiggle around if needed to look at smaller nooks and crannies. As you know, the day before your patient has their colonoscopy, it’s important for them to clear up their colon, because when the Pentax scope goes in, it can’t catch everything if there’s anything in there. You go up into their bowel and rectum with a Pentax scope and examine their insides. It’s usually because they have been complaining about abdominal pain, rectal bleedings, changes in bowel habits, or maybe because they’re over the age of 50. A few things you need to be sure to communicate with your patients before having a colonoscopy is to find out if they are pregnant, have lung or heart conditions, allergies to medication, or even if they are diabetic. This is important because blood clotting can become an issue during a colonoscopy, even if you aren’t cutting them up. Pentax scopes are still invading their body in some way. Do not allow your patient to stop any heart medication prior to his colonoscopy without speaking with you first. This needs to be emphasized because of the drugs that are used. A colonoscopy is roughly 30-60 minutes, depending on what is found and if you have to do a biopsy. Medication will be put into your patient’s veins to make him drowsy. You’ll be placing your patient on his left side during the procedure and might have to move around. Once he is on his side, you will insert a colonoscope into his rectum and up to his bowel. The Pentax scope is moved around in his bowel to examine the area and then withdrawn slowly through his bowels to examine each part. The procedure is relatively painless, because the Pentax scopes are created to be flexible, moveable, and have fiber optics within them to help you be able to see well. This is why it’s important for patients to follow the liquid diet regime prior to the colonoscopy. If they don’t follow that liquid regime, you’ll have to order another colonoscopy.
