Introduction:

Capsule endoscopy (CE) is an essential tool for small bowel evaluation; however, experience in hospitalized patients in Colombia remains limited. This multicenter study provides novel data regarding its safety, diagnostic yield, and clinical utility.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2019 and December 2021 at two referral centers. A total of 68 hospitalized patients (≥18 years) with indications for CE and negative conventional endoscopic evaluations were included. Clinical variables, bowel preparation quality, endoscopic findings, and adverse events were assessed.

Results:

The cohort consisted of 42 men (61.8%) and 26 women (38.2%), with a median age of 60.5 years (standard deviation [SD]: 24.3; range: 18-96). The main indications were obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (77.9%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 65.8-86.9) and suspected inflammatory bowel disease (22.1%; 95% CI: 13.1-34.2). The devices used were CapsoCam SV-1 (54.4%), PillCam SB3 (25%), and PillCam Colon (20.6%). Bowel preparation was rated as adequate or excellent in 92.6% of cases. Diagnostic yield reached 88.2% in obscure bleeding and 89.2% in inflammatory bowel disease, with Crohn’s disease confirmed in 22% of cases. The most frequent lesions were ulcers/erosions (72%) and angiectasias (19.5%). Only one mild adverse event (1.5%) was documented, which resolved spontaneously.

Conclusions:

Capsule endoscopy demonstrated an outstanding safety profile and a diagnostic yield exceeding 85% in hospitalized patients. These findings support its implementation as a first-line strategy for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding and inflammatory bowel disease in Latin America.

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