Colonic symptoms and large-bowel disease are common in elderly people, but the optimum investigative schema is not well established. Double-contrast barium enema (DCBE) and full colonoscopy share several drawbacks; both require colonic preparation which at best causes stool frequency and urgency, at worse dehydration and hypovolaemia. Many physicians feel that in the elderly this represents such a risk that inpatient preparation is preferred. Both investigations may involve much discomfort an...