Gut Liver.  2022 Jan;16(1):37-43. 10.5009/gnl20298.

Effect of Sodium Alginate on Gastrointestinal Symptoms after Esophagogastroduodenoscopy with Biopsy: Randomized Controlled Trial

• Nam SY
• Lee SW
• Jeon SW
• Kwon YH

• KMID: 2524760
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5009/gnl20298

Abstract

Background/Aims
After esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with biopsy, some patients experience gastrointestinal symptoms. This study investigated the effect of sodium alginate on biopsy-related gastrointestinal symptoms.
Methods
In this open-label, randomized, controlled trial, patients undergoing EGD with biopsy were randomly assigned to a treatment or control group. In the treatment group, sodium alginate was orally administered for 3 days after EGD. Patients completed questionnaires about their gastrointestinal symptoms at baseline (past week), the day after returning home, and after another 3 days. Gastrointestinal symptoms, including abdominal pain, epigastric pain/soreness, heartburn, acid reflux, nausea/vomiting, borborygmus, abdominal distension, and belching, were rated using an upper gastrointestinal symptom rating scale (GSRS).
Results
A total of 210 persons (138 men) who underwent EGD with biopsy were enrolled and allocated to the treatment (n=104) or control (n=106) group. At baseline, the demographic factors and GSRS scores were not different between the control and treatment groups. The epigastric pain/soreness score increased in the control group after endoscopic biopsy (+0.056), whereas the score was decreased in the treatment group (–0.067) (p=0.042). In the treatment group, the scores for acid regurgitation and epigastric soreness decreased during follow-up from those at baseline (p<0.05), whereas there were no significant reductions in the control group. The scores for belching and borborygmus decreased during follow-up only in the treatment group. Abdominal bloating decreased in both the control and treatment groups.
Conclusions
Sodium alginate reduced epigastric pain/soreness after EGD with biopsy. Therefore, the prescription of sodium alginate should be considered after endoscopic biopsy.

Keyword

Alginates; Biopsy; Abdominal pain