Table 5.
Appropriateness of indication and diagnostic yield of colonoscopy according to patients’ characteristics
| Characteristic (no. of patients) |
Appropriateness of referral1n (%) |
Diagnostic yield (%) | ||
| Generally indicated | Generally not indicated | Not listed | ||
| All patients (736) | 468 (63.6) | 149 (20.2) | 119 (16.2) | 27.2 |
| Diagnostic yield | 37.80% | 4.70% | 13.40% | - |
| Gender | ||||
| Male (415) | 263(63.4) | 87 (21.0) | 65 (15.7) | 28 |
| Female (321) | 205 (63.9) | 62 (19.3) | 54 (16.8) | 26.2 |
| Age (yr) | ||||
| Mean age (SD) | 44.7 (17.3) | 38.2 (12.1) | 46.3 (17.3) | |
| <15 (31) | 24 (77.4) | 2 (6.5) | 5 (16.1) | 48.4 |
| 15-49 (441) | 247 (56.0) | 130 (29.5) | 64 (14.5) | 22.2 |
| ≥50 (264) | 197 (74.6) | 17 (6.4) | 50 (18.9) | 33 |
| Referring clinician | ||||
| General physician (255) | 154 (60.4) | 63 (24.7) | 38 (14.9) | 18 |
| Surgeon (246) | 153 (62.2) | 34 (13.8) | 59 (24.0) | 27.6 |
| Gastroenterologist (205) | 137 (66.8) | 49 (23.9) | 19 (9.3) | 36.6 |
| Pediatric gastroenterologist (22) | 18 (81.8) | 1 (4.5) | 3 (13.6) | 50 |
| Other2 (8) | 6 (75.0) | 2 (25.0) | 0 | 0 |
| Clinical status | ||||
| Inpatient (130) | 89 (68.5) | 19 (14.6) | 22 (16.9) | 35.4 |
| Outpatient (606) | 379 (62.5) | 130 (21.5) | 97 (16.0) | 25.4 |
1
According to 2000 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) guidelines on appropriate use of gastrointestinal endoscopy[9].
2
Oncologist (6), gynecologist (2).