Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsInfection RatesInfection SymptomsWhen to Seek CareComplicationsSafetyReducing RiskFAQ
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Infection Rates
Infection Symptoms
When to Seek Care
Complications
Safety
Reducing Risk
FAQ
Acolonoscopyis a procedure that’s used to look inside the colon (large intestine). A flexible tube with a light and a camera on the end is inserted into the anus and up through the rectum and the large intestine.
This test is done to screen for colon and rectal cancers, and as a way to make a diagnosis of various other digestive conditions. It is a necessary and safe procedure. In rare cases, a bacterial infection is possible after having a colonoscopy.
This article will discuss the symptoms of bacterial infection after a colonoscopy. While it’s not likely to happen, it’s good to know what the signs and symptoms are.
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Infection Rates After Colonoscopy
The rate of infection in the digestive system after having a colonoscopy is low. One study included 112,543 people who had either colonoscopy orsigmoidoscopy(which looks at the lower part of the colon with a flexible viewing tube).
The number of people who had an infection within 30 days after the procedure was noted. The overall rate was found to be 0.37%.
Treatments During ColonoscopyTreatments can be done during a colonoscopy. The most common of these is the removal of a polyp, which is a growth on the inside of the colon. Removing a polyp is important to prevent colon cancer, but may cause some minor bleeding.
Treatments During Colonoscopy
Treatments can be done during a colonoscopy. The most common of these is the removal of a polyp, which is a growth on the inside of the colon. Removing a polyp is important to prevent colon cancer, but may cause some minor bleeding.
What Are the Types of Colon Polyps?
The types of infection that occurred were also varied. The most common infections were:
Symptoms of Infection After Colonoscopy
An infection that happens after a colonoscopy may cause signs and symptoms. When leaving after a colonoscopy, people will be given some guidance on what to look for and which symptoms are a reason to call a healthcare provider.
Symptoms of an infection after a colonoscopy could include one or more of the following:
Sepsisis a life-threatening infection. It occurs when an infection in the body gets into the bloodstream. It’s important to know the symptoms of sepsis because it needs to get treatment right away.
The symptoms of sepsis can include:
When to See a Healthcare Provider
You will be given instructions on when to contact your healthcare provider after a colonoscopy. A certain amount of abdominal discomfort may be part of the recovery process. Some people will have intestinal gas and this may be uncomfortable until it can be passed.
When a polyp has been removed, there could be bleeding from the rectum. Polyps are the precursor to colon and rectal cancer. If one is found during a colonoscopy, it is usually removed, and a small amount of blood may pass out of the rectum afterward.
However, these symptoms shouldn’t be severe, and they should go away within a day or so. If symptoms go on for too long or are really troublesome, it’s time to contact a healthcare provider.
Symptoms to watch for after a colonoscopy include:
Recovering From a Colonoscopy: What to Expect
Other Colonoscopy Risks and Complications
While a colonoscopy is effective in screening for colon and rectal cancer, there are some risks. These risks include:
Are Colonoscopies Safe?
Complications are uncommon to rare with colonoscopy. The usefulness of the test in preventing and screening for colon and rectal cancer outweighs the risks.
There are some people for whom the benefits may not outweigh the risks. This might be true for people who are older, who have digestive conditions, or who have other conditions that may make the procedure carry more risk.
There are some risk factors for having an infection after a colonoscopy that are fixed. However, it’s good to know if your risk might be higher because of these things.
Some of the risk factors include:
Data are lacking, but it appears that Black Americans and Native Americans may have higher rates of infection than White Americans after colonoscopy.
If you have concerns, ask questions. It’s worth first asking if the procedure is necessary, especially when there is a risk factor that can’t be changed (such as age), or if there is an alternative. You can ask about safety precautions, and tell yourgastroenterologistor other healthcare provider your concerns about avoiding infection.
Questions to AskEndoscopy centers will have a staff member who cleans scopes. Scopes are usually tagged in some way as being clean after they’ve been processed. Peter Higgins, M.D., Ph.D., director of the IBD program at the University of Michigan, recommends asking these questions:How are clean scopes identified?How are the scopes monitored for bacteria after being cleaned?How often are the scopes cleaned?
Questions to Ask
Endoscopy centers will have a staff member who cleans scopes. Scopes are usually tagged in some way as being clean after they’ve been processed. Peter Higgins, M.D., Ph.D., director of the IBD program at the University of Michigan, recommends asking these questions:How are clean scopes identified?How are the scopes monitored for bacteria after being cleaned?How often are the scopes cleaned?
Endoscopy centers will have a staff member who cleans scopes. Scopes are usually tagged in some way as being clean after they’ve been processed. Peter Higgins, M.D., Ph.D., director of the IBD program at the University of Michigan, recommends asking these questions:
Summary
A colonoscopy can help detect colon and rectal cancer or help in diagnosing other diseases and conditions. It’s recommended that even people of average risk of colon and rectal cancer get a screening scope.
The risks of any complications are low. While infections and other complications of a colonoscopy are not common, they occur. Talk to your gastroenterologist about the procedure and any potential risk factors.
Frequently Asked QuestionsMany of the studies on complications after colonoscopy track patients for 30 days. If there’s a complication, it might be known soon after the colonoscopy because symptoms might begin in the days following the procedure. Some potential complications may start soon after the procedure but be longer-lasting, such as aspiration pneumonia.Abdominal pain that continues for two weeks after a colonoscopy is a reason to talk to a healthcare provider. Some people may have gas, bloating, or discomfort in the first few days after a colonoscopy. Having abdominal pain that goes on for longer than that could mean there is a problem that needs to be treated.Sepsis is an infection in the blood. If a person develops an infection after having a colonoscopy, sepsis could result. However, this is a rare occurrence. One study showed that the number of people who had bacteria in their blood after a colonoscopy was two or three per 100,000.Bacteria in the blood could lead to sepsis, but this doesn’t always happen. Therefore, the rate of sepsis would be even lower than that of people with bacteria in their blood.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many of the studies on complications after colonoscopy track patients for 30 days. If there’s a complication, it might be known soon after the colonoscopy because symptoms might begin in the days following the procedure. Some potential complications may start soon after the procedure but be longer-lasting, such as aspiration pneumonia.
Abdominal pain that continues for two weeks after a colonoscopy is a reason to talk to a healthcare provider. Some people may have gas, bloating, or discomfort in the first few days after a colonoscopy. Having abdominal pain that goes on for longer than that could mean there is a problem that needs to be treated.
Sepsis is an infection in the blood. If a person develops an infection after having a colonoscopy, sepsis could result. However, this is a rare occurrence. One study showed that the number of people who had bacteria in their blood after a colonoscopy was two or three per 100,000.Bacteria in the blood could lead to sepsis, but this doesn’t always happen. Therefore, the rate of sepsis would be even lower than that of people with bacteria in their blood.
Sepsis is an infection in the blood. If a person develops an infection after having a colonoscopy, sepsis could result. However, this is a rare occurrence. One study showed that the number of people who had bacteria in their blood after a colonoscopy was two or three per 100,000.
Bacteria in the blood could lead to sepsis, but this doesn’t always happen. Therefore, the rate of sepsis would be even lower than that of people with bacteria in their blood.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lin JN, Wang CB, Yang CH, Lai CH, Lin HH.Risk of infection following colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy in symptomatic patients.Endoscopy. 2017;49:754-764. doi:10.1055/s-0043-107777.Bielawska B, Hookey LC, Sutradhar R, et al.Anesthesia assistance in outpatient colonoscopy and risk of aspiration pneumonia, bowel perforation, and splenic injury.Gastroenterology. 2018;154:77-85.e3. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2017.08.043.Hawkins AT, Sharp KW, Ford MM, Muldoon RL, Hopkins MB, Geiger TM.Management of colonoscopic perforations: A systematic review.Am J Surg. 2018;215:712-718. doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2017.08.012.Plumptre I, Tolppa T, Jawad ZAR, Zafar N.Donut rush to laparoscopy: post-polypectomy electrocoagulation syndrome and the ‘pseudo-donut’ sign.BJR Case Rep. 2020;6:20190023. doi:10.1259/bjrcr.20190023.Lin JS, Perdue LA, Henrikson NB, Bean SI, Blasi PR.Screening for colorectal cancer: Updated evidence report and systematic review for the us preventive services task force.JAMA. 2021;325:1978-1998. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.4417.Wang P, Xu T, Ngamruengphong S, et al.Rates of infection after colonoscopy and osophagogastroduodenoscopy in ambulatory surgery centres in the USA.Gut. 2018;67:1626-163. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2017-315308@ibddoctor.Interview reply via Twitter.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lin JN, Wang CB, Yang CH, Lai CH, Lin HH.Risk of infection following colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy in symptomatic patients.Endoscopy. 2017;49:754-764. doi:10.1055/s-0043-107777.Bielawska B, Hookey LC, Sutradhar R, et al.Anesthesia assistance in outpatient colonoscopy and risk of aspiration pneumonia, bowel perforation, and splenic injury.Gastroenterology. 2018;154:77-85.e3. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2017.08.043.Hawkins AT, Sharp KW, Ford MM, Muldoon RL, Hopkins MB, Geiger TM.Management of colonoscopic perforations: A systematic review.Am J Surg. 2018;215:712-718. doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2017.08.012.Plumptre I, Tolppa T, Jawad ZAR, Zafar N.Donut rush to laparoscopy: post-polypectomy electrocoagulation syndrome and the ‘pseudo-donut’ sign.BJR Case Rep. 2020;6:20190023. doi:10.1259/bjrcr.20190023.Lin JS, Perdue LA, Henrikson NB, Bean SI, Blasi PR.Screening for colorectal cancer: Updated evidence report and systematic review for the us preventive services task force.JAMA. 2021;325:1978-1998. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.4417.Wang P, Xu T, Ngamruengphong S, et al.Rates of infection after colonoscopy and osophagogastroduodenoscopy in ambulatory surgery centres in the USA.Gut. 2018;67:1626-163. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2017-315308@ibddoctor.Interview reply via Twitter.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Lin JN, Wang CB, Yang CH, Lai CH, Lin HH.Risk of infection following colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy in symptomatic patients.Endoscopy. 2017;49:754-764. doi:10.1055/s-0043-107777.Bielawska B, Hookey LC, Sutradhar R, et al.Anesthesia assistance in outpatient colonoscopy and risk of aspiration pneumonia, bowel perforation, and splenic injury.Gastroenterology. 2018;154:77-85.e3. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2017.08.043.Hawkins AT, Sharp KW, Ford MM, Muldoon RL, Hopkins MB, Geiger TM.Management of colonoscopic perforations: A systematic review.Am J Surg. 2018;215:712-718. doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2017.08.012.Plumptre I, Tolppa T, Jawad ZAR, Zafar N.Donut rush to laparoscopy: post-polypectomy electrocoagulation syndrome and the ‘pseudo-donut’ sign.BJR Case Rep. 2020;6:20190023. doi:10.1259/bjrcr.20190023.Lin JS, Perdue LA, Henrikson NB, Bean SI, Blasi PR.Screening for colorectal cancer: Updated evidence report and systematic review for the us preventive services task force.JAMA. 2021;325:1978-1998. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.4417.Wang P, Xu T, Ngamruengphong S, et al.Rates of infection after colonoscopy and osophagogastroduodenoscopy in ambulatory surgery centres in the USA.Gut. 2018;67:1626-163. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2017-315308@ibddoctor.Interview reply via Twitter.
Lin JN, Wang CB, Yang CH, Lai CH, Lin HH.Risk of infection following colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy in symptomatic patients.Endoscopy. 2017;49:754-764. doi:10.1055/s-0043-107777.
Bielawska B, Hookey LC, Sutradhar R, et al.Anesthesia assistance in outpatient colonoscopy and risk of aspiration pneumonia, bowel perforation, and splenic injury.Gastroenterology. 2018;154:77-85.e3. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2017.08.043.
Hawkins AT, Sharp KW, Ford MM, Muldoon RL, Hopkins MB, Geiger TM.Management of colonoscopic perforations: A systematic review.Am J Surg. 2018;215:712-718. doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2017.08.012.
Plumptre I, Tolppa T, Jawad ZAR, Zafar N.Donut rush to laparoscopy: post-polypectomy electrocoagulation syndrome and the ‘pseudo-donut’ sign.BJR Case Rep. 2020;6:20190023. doi:10.1259/bjrcr.20190023.
Lin JS, Perdue LA, Henrikson NB, Bean SI, Blasi PR.Screening for colorectal cancer: Updated evidence report and systematic review for the us preventive services task force.JAMA. 2021;325:1978-1998. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.4417.
Wang P, Xu T, Ngamruengphong S, et al.Rates of infection after colonoscopy and osophagogastroduodenoscopy in ambulatory surgery centres in the USA.Gut. 2018;67:1626-163. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2017-315308
@ibddoctor.Interview reply via Twitter.
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