Contraindications
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Absolute contraindications
- A competent patient who is unwilling to give consent
- An uncooperative patient in whom consent has been given but in whom adequate sedation cannot be achieved.
- Toxic megacolon
- Fulminant colitis
- A known viscus perforation
Relative contraindications
Relative contraindications are those situations in which risk is substantially increased. It may be appropriate to proceed if the information that may be acquired or a treatment that can be given is critical to the welfare of the patient.
Relative contraindications include:
- acute diverticulitis
- very large abdominal aortic aneurysms (particularly if they are symptomatic)
- patients who are immediately postoperative
- patients who have suffered recent myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, or are currently hemodynamically unstable.
- Severe coagulopathies constitute a relative contraindication also, particularly for therapeutic procedures.
- Endoscopy can generally be performed safely during pregnancy but should be deferred in most instances if the indication does not require immediate resolution.
- In general, endoscopy is contraindicated when the risks to the patient's health or life outweigh the potential benefits of colonoscopy.
edited 16th September 2010