Fecal ocult blood test

General information:

The occult blood test is an indicative screening test to detect blood in the stool.
It is recommended in some of the following cases:

• in patients with a high risk for colorectal cancer - age over 50 years, family history
• part of screening tests to preventive packages
• in some cases of anemia to exclude another pathology
• unexplained pain symptoms and bleeding from GIT

Before the test, it is recommended to follow a so-called "white" diet: consume dairy products (cheese, yellow cheese), avoid foods and medicines that irritate the stomach and contain iron (spinach, tomatoes, pepper, red meat). You can eat  fish, chicken and turkey.

Foods and substances that may interfere with the test result:

• vitamin C supplements
• iron supplements
• taking aspirin and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, paracetamol, etc.)
• consuming red meat can lead to false positive results
• turnip, red beet, artichoke, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, beans, lettuce, apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, melon
• not to use medicines containing bismuth, activated carbon
• not performed during menstruation
• alcohol intake 48 hours before the test

When conducting the test, diseases that lead to blood in the stool should be taken into account, such as:

• hemorrhoids
• ulcerative colitis
• anal fissures
• colon polyps
• ulcers
• Crohn's disease

The examination for occult bleeding should be repeated in cases where the above conditions are not met. In case of doubt, patients should be referred to a specialist for more specialized examinations such as colonoscopy, gastroscopy, rectal examination, imaging studies.

Sample required:

Feces in container

Key words:

fecal ocult blood test, blood, faeces, colon cancer