Hallazgos colonoscópicos en pacientes atendidos en una institución de salud del municipio de Barrancabermeja, Santander

Introduction. Colonoscopy is a visual exploration of the colonic mucosa, which consists of the insertion of a flexible optic catheter through the anus. Its objectives include to locate lesions very precisely, to obtain biopsies for their microscopic analysis, to carry out different therapeutic procedures and to diagnose small lesions that cannot be detected by traditional imaging techniques. The aim of this article is to describe the colonoscopy findings in adult patients of a health care institution. Methodology. Observational, cross-sectional study with an analytical component. The information was collected retrospectively from patients aged over 18 years, of both sexes, on which a colonoscopy was performed in a secondary health care institution. Results. A total of 521 colonoscopy procedures were conducted on 291 women and 230 men with an average age of 63 years (age range: 18-99 years). The proportion was greater among people aged over 50 years. The frequency of the procedure in women was higher with 57.0%, compared to 43% in men. The number of colonoscopies with a normal result was more frequent in people aged under 50 years (54.8%) compared to 45.2% of the total of those aged 50 years and over. Conclusion. Colonoscopy is a very useful instrument when diagnosing, monitoring and treating a great variety of gastrointestinal pathologies, because through this important diagnostic tool, it is possible to determine the existence of or rule out other kinds of pathologies that affect the gastrointestinal system.