Abstract:Objective Through clinical observation of colonoscopy quality in plateau area, the influencing factors of colonoscopy quality in plateau environment were analyzed to provide clinical basis for intervention strategy. Methods Data from 450 patients living in different altitudes without abnormal colonoscopy results were collected from January 2016 to May 2018 in Endoscopy center, Qinghai provincial people"s hospital, and colonoscopy observation factors such as abdominal pain, abdominal distension, duration of colonoscopy entry and withdrawal, colonoscopy rate of cecum, and colon cleanliness rate were analyzed. Results (1) In contrast to the control group altitude(1500m-2500m), the duration colonoscopy entry is extending by the increasing of the elevations. By the multiple regression analysis, the duration colonoscopy entry of the high altitude (2500-3500m) group and super high altitude (3500m-5500m) group is extending 8.20 min and 15.11 min more than the controlled respectively in average (P<0.001). The duration of colonoscopy withdrawal is extending by the increasing of the elevations. However, the high-altitude group is not distinctly higher than the control, but the super high-altitude group is extending 0.76 min more than the group (P<0.001). (2) In contrast to the control, the possibility of colon cleanliness degrading of the high-altitude group and the super high-altitude group is increasing by 1.96 folds and 8.76 folds. (3) The colonoscopy rate of cecum of the high altitude group is not distinctly different from the control, but that of the super high altitude group is 81.2% with a OR value of 0.38 (95%CI:0.17~0.82,P=0.015) comparing with the control. (4) The abdominal pain and distension are becoming severer by the elevation increasing statistically. Conclusion Colonoscopy in plateau regions confront difficulties such as the longer duration of colonoscopy entry and withdraw, colon cleanliness decreasing, cecum rate affecting, as well as uncomfortable symptoms (abdominal pain and distension) accompanying. Therefore, selective intervention before examination may improve the quality of colonoscopy in plateau areas.