Abstract:Objective To compare the efficacy of polyethylene glycol (PEG) electrolyte powder versus oral sulfate solution (OSS) for bowel preparation and their impacts on colonoscopy quality. Methods This single-center, retrospective, cross-sectional study included patients who underwent colonoscopy with PEG or OSS at Endoscopy Center, central branch of Peking University First Hospital between January 1st and December 31st 2024. Indicators including bowel cleanliness score, adenoma detection rate (ADR), sessile serrated lesion detection rate (SSLDR) were analyzed, and age-stratified subgroup analysis were performed. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with excellent bowel cleanliness. The quality of colonoscopy under two bowel preparation regimens were evaluated. Results A total of 15 936 patients with 13 321 in the PEG group and 2 615 in the OSS group were included. The PEG group had higher overall Boston bowel preparation scale score [8.00 (7.00, 8.00) VS 8.00 (6.00, 8.00), Z=-5.560, P<0.001], especially in the transverse and descending colon, and higher foam scores in the descending colon (Z=-2.589, P=0.010). Use of PEG, female gender, afternoon examination, and younger age positively predicted excellent cleanliness. ADR [44.8% (5 965/13 321) VS 39.2% (1 024/2 615), P<0.001] and SSLDR [7.8% (1 035/13 321) VS 6.0% (157/2 615), P=0.002] were higher in the PEG group than those in the OSS group. Age stratification confirmed PEG''s superiority in both >50 and ≤50 age groups, with ADRs of 54.0% (4 808/8 910) and 31.0% (2 181/7 026), respectively, and SSLDRs of 8.1% (721/8 910) and 6.7% (471/7 026), respectively. For those >50 years old, the PEG group detected more elevated polyps. Conclusion While both regimens provide adequate bowel preparation, PEG regimen demonstrates superior cleansing quality, ADR, SSLDR, over OSS regimen, particularly in patients over 50 years old, and those with higher risk polyps.