New Meal Developed for Use Prior to Colon Exam

E-Z-Em, Inc. announced that it has developed a meal kit specially designed to replace a clear liquid diet prior to examination of the colon.

The NutraPrep™ meal kit contains a full day's supply of shakes, soup, energy bars and chips, all prepared to provide essential nutrition and significantly reduce the amount of residue remaining in the bowel after digestion.

Cleansing the colon is an important step in evaluating the bowel and detecting abnormal growths such as polyps or cancers. Many common foods leave too much residue in the bowel, which can diminish the accuracy of the x-ray or endoscopic examination resulting in the cancellation of the procedure.

Patients preparing for a colon exam are restricted to a clear liquid diet of water, clear juices, coffee, tea and broth prior to their screening.

"Our goal at E-Z-EM is to develop new products that will make the preparation process more patient-friendly," said Anthony A. Lombardo, President and CEO of E-Z-EM. "We're confident that patients will find the NutraPrep meal kit simple to comply with and much more satisfying than a clear liquid diet."

"Preparation for a colon exam is the number one complaint doctors hear from patients, many of whom do not follow their doctor's advice and eat food that leaves too much residue in the bowel," said Dr. Mark DeLegge, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. "With specially prepared foods, patients will be able to eat the day before the exam and improve compliance with the preparation process."

In a study of the E-Z-EM meal kit conducted by DeLegge, researchers found that twice as many patients had an excellent bowel prep with the new meal kit than those using standard bowel preparation.

Other Sources: E-Z-EM