The findings of a comparative randomized controlled clinical trial revealed that in adult outpatients with indications for esophagogastroduodenoscopy, simethicone administration 31-60 minutes prior to the procedure can aid to effectively procure the best gastric cleanness. Xiaotian Sun et al. undertook a trial for investigating the impact of different strategies of simethicone administration on gastric cleanness for endoscopy.

Participants were randomized to Group 1: Intake 20-30 min prior to the procedure (n = 110), Group 2: Intake 31-60 min prior to the procedure (n = 92), and Group 3: Intake > 60 min prior to the procedure. The primary and secondary endpoints were procedure time and satisfaction of the participants following assessment. In addition, recording of symptoms like abdominal pain and distension was done.

No profound differences were witnessed on the mean examination time and participants' demographic and clinical features. All three groups showed a comparable distribution of participants with distinct endoscopic and pathological diagnosis. But, the percentage of people having Gastric Cleanness Grade C was highest in group 1 (n = 72, 65.5%) and those having Gastric Cleanness Grade A was highest in group 2 (n = 73, 79.3%).

In terms of satisfaction scores, no profound differences were noted, signifying that all the three ways of simethicone administration were well-tolerated by the participants. Thus, administering simethicone solution 31-60 minutes is an optimal strategy and can be used as a routine standard pre-procedural preparation for improved quality endoscopy, particularly for individuals with suspected malignant lesions in the upper gastrointestinal.