How is fecal occult blood tested?

One type of stool analysis is its test for latent blood, which is not detectable by ordinary microscopic examination. It helps to identify diseases in any part of the stomach or intestines, which are accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the mucosa. So, normal in a healthy person, the analysis of feces for latent blood should be negative, and if it is positive, it is necessary to conduct a more detailed diagnosis of the state of health.

After all, as a result of this study, you can identify small chronic bleeding that does not appear on the person's health. With this analysis, for example, even at the asymptomatic stage, it is possible to diagnose cancer of the rectum: even in the absence of pain and other prominent signs of the disease, it is the cause of the appearance of slightly bleeding tumors. Also , fecal occult blood test can be positive for ulcers in the gastrointestinal tract, ulcerative colitis, intestinal tuberculosis, liver cirrhosis, thrombophlebitis of the spleen's veins, typhoid fever, hemorrhoids and even if a certain species is infected with helminths.

Such a wide list of possible reasons for the fact that feces analysis for occult blood is positive, requires a more thorough examination of the patient to establish an accurate diagnosis. It should also be noted that a positive result of the study can also be as a result of the ingress of blood into the esophagus with nasal bleeding, with cracks on the lips or even with the occasional introduction of menstrual flow into the material under study.

Before taking the analysis of feces for hidden blood, it is necessary to prepare. 3 days before the expected date of the study, the patient should exclude from the diet any meat, liver, fish, a number of fruits and vegetables, which contain a large amount of peroxidase, catalase and, of course, iron. These include cucumbers, cauliflower, horseradish, apples, spinach, white beans, green onions, bell peppers. In addition, a week before the study, it is forbidden to take iron, vitamin C, acetylsalicylic acid (including tablets intended for dilution of blood), anti-inflammatory non-steroid agents. If a patient underwent X-ray examination of the intestine or stomach, then the analysis is given no earlier than two days later. It is not done on the background of taking antibiotics. After all, all these products, drugs and procedures can affect the result of the study.

If you do not know what to take the analysis of stool, then go to the nearest pharmacy, where you can buy a special container with a spoon, which is recruited for research. Do not try to fill the entire jar, the laboratory is not more than 1/3 of its volume. By the way, these same capacities are purchased if you need to pass a biochemical analysis of feces, a coprogram, to conduct a study on enterobiasis or eggs of helminths. Collect material is necessary on the same day, in which he will surrender to the laboratory. If storage is necessary, it is better to leave the stool in a cool place, at a temperature of no higher than 6 ^о С.