Question 1

what is the definition or description of: fecal occult blood?

Accepted Answer

FOBT: Fecal occult blood testing is a tool you use at home to detect tiny amounts of blood in your stool. This may suggest that there is a polyp or cancer as the cause of the bleeding. Although the vast majority of positive tests for occult blood do not have a cancer, a positive result means you should have another test (such as colonoscopy) to investigate this further.

Question 2

what diet should i follow before getting g tested for fecal occult blood?

Accepted Answer

Nothing special: Make sure you get fit test and not the old fobt. Fit is way more sensitive to detect human hemoglobin and it's not affected by diet.

Question 3

how are fecal occult blood tests performed?

Accepted Answer

In the lab: Great question. A great way to screen for intestinal cancer as cancers cause small amounts of bleeding, which is then passed in the feces. A less sensitive chemical method and more accurate immuno method can be used. Not all cancers will leak blood, blood in feces is not always cancer and other substances can have false results. Ask your doc about colonoscopy if >50 or family history of cancer.

Question 4

why is fecal occult blood test important?

Accepted Answer

Cancer: Blood in stool represents bleeding somewhere in the gastrointestinal tract.  It needs be investigated by a GI specialist, especially to exclude colon cancer.

Question 5

where can i buy a fecal occult blood test online?

Accepted Answer

Best see your doctor: There are 4 main types.  Fecal immunochemical testing (fit)/immunochemical fecal occult blood test (ifobt), stool guaiac test for fecal occult blood (gfobt), fecal porphyrin quantification (hemoquant), and fecal dna test or pregen-plus.  The stool guiac is the most proven, and can be done at home.  But it is best to see your doctor since he/she can order it and a positive test must be followed up.

Question 6

what is the reagent found in fecal occult blood tests?

Accepted Answer

See below: There is more than one way to test for occult blood in stool. See this site for more information.
http://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/fecal-occult-blood-test-fobt.

Question 7

home fecal occult blood test ---what is a good one to buy?

Accepted Answer

Best to see your Dr.: This is done by 4 main methods.  Fecal immunochemical testing that uses antibodies to detect globin, stool guaiac test for fecal occult blood which involves reaction of stool to hydrogen peroxide, fecal porphyrin quantification or hemoquant which measures hemoglobin, and fecal dna test/the pregen-plus which measures dna.  It would be wise to check with your doctor and get tested accurately.

Question 8

what happens if a if a fecal occult blood test is positive?

Accepted Answer

Colonoscopy: Blood in stool represents bleeding somewhere in the gastrointestinal tract.  It needs be investigated by a GI specialist, especially to exclude colon cancer.

Question 9

fecal occult blood test--can i do it at home for no charge?

Accepted Answer

Possibly: The materials do cost something to someone, however more importantly, doing the test at home can be unreliable. Better to have it performed by a professional who can interpret it correctly for you. Check with your pcp.

Question 10

what are the most common reasons a test would be positive for fecal occult blood in a toddlers stool?

Accepted Answer

Anal fissure: Kids can push out a stool that is either bulky or oversized and cause a crack in the skin of the outlet. This is a relatively common cause of blood in the stool. They can also have irritation of the large intestines, and some infectious diarrheas that turn the test positive also.

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Doctor answers about:

Fecal occult blood

A member asked:

What is the definition or description of: fecal occult blood?

A member asked:

What diet should i follow before getting g tested for fecal occult blood?

A member asked:

How are fecal occult blood tests performed?

A member asked:

Why is fecal occult blood test important?

A member asked:

Where can i buy a fecal occult blood test online?

A member asked:

What is the reagent found in fecal occult blood tests?

A member asked:

Home fecal occult blood test ---what is a good one to buy?

A member asked:

What happens if a if a fecal occult blood test is positive?

A member asked:

Fecal occult blood test--can i do it at home for no charge?

A member asked:

What are the most common reasons a test would be positive for fecal occult blood in a toddlers stool?

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