Effects of gum chewing on abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting and intake adherence to polyethylene glycol solution of patients in colonoscopy preparation

Aims and objective This study aimed to reduce the common discomfort of colonoscopy patients when taking a bowel cleansing solution. Gum chewing, a form of sham feeding, was examined as a possible efficient intervention to reduce the discomfort from consuming polyethylene glycol. Background Sham feeding is a method that is similar to food intake, which stimulates the cephalic‐vagal reflex, promotes secretion of gastrointestinal hormones, and stimulates movement of the gastrointestinal tract. Sham feeding with chewing gum has been shown to promote bowel motility. Design This was an experimental study utilising a randomised control group post‐test design. Methods This study was conducted in Seoul, Korea from August–October 2012. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups; a gum‐chewing group ( n = 66) or a control group ( n = 65). In the control group, patients drank a polyethylene glycol solution according to the general protocol. For the gum‐chewing group, patients had to chew one stick of sugarless gum during the pause interval of drinking the polyethylene glycol solution. Results were analysed using the Mann–Whitney U ‐test, t ‐test, Chi‐square test or Fisher's exact test. Results The gum‐chewing group reported significantly lower abdominal discomfort, nausea and vomiting and took a shorter time to ingest the polyethylene glycol solution than the control group. Conclusion Gum chewing is efficient in improving abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting and the intake adherence of patients in colonoscopy preparation. Relevance to clinical practice Gum chewing was demonstrated by this study to be a potentially effective nursing intervention that is easy for patients to perform with simple instructions and is low cost with no side effects.