Abstract:Objective A randomized controlled trial was conducted on colonoscopy inpatient and outpatients to compare the efficacy and safety of water exchange (WE) colonoscopy and CO2 convention insufflation colonoscopy in elderly patients.Methods 340 patients underwent fully sedated colonoscopy were randomly divided into two groups according to colonoscopy with either WE colonoscopy group (WE group) and CO2 insufflation colonoscopy group (CO2 group). The two groups were compared in terms of Boston bowel preparation scale (BBPS), withdrawal time, cecal intubation time, cecal intubation success rate, abdominal compression, willingness to repeat, polypdetectionrate (PDR), adenoma detection rate (ADR), and safety.Results The cecal intubation success rate was significantly higher in WE group (100.0%) compared with CO2 group (96.5%), the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.013). The average cecal intubation time of WE group was (10.50 ± 1.79) min, which was longer than that of CO2 group (7.55 ± 1.50) min, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Comparison of withdrawal time and BBPS between the two groups, the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The abdominal pressure rate was lower in WE group (5.9%) compared with CO2 group (13.5%), the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.017). The rate of willingness to re-examination in the WE group was 98.2%, which was significantly higher than the 93.5% in the CO2 group. The PDR in WE group (80.6%) was higher than that in CO2 group (70.6%), the ADR in WE group (67.1%) was higher than that in CO2 group (50.6%), the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that WE group was an effective factor in improving ADR (OR^ = 2.027, P < 0.01). The overall adverse events were less than 3%, with no difference between the two groups (P = 1.000).Conclusion The use of WE colonoscopy has a better improved efficacy in elderly patients, and safety should be ensured by individualized assessment of the patient’s co-morbidities, bowel preparation tolerance, and willingness prior to the procedure.