Guaiac smear test; Fecal occult blood test - guaiac smear; Stool occult blood test - guaiac smear

A negative test result means that there is no blood in the stool.

Abnormal results may be caused by anything that causes bleeding in the stomach or intestinal tract, including:

• Colon cancer or other gastrointestinal (GI) tumors
• Colon polyps
• Esophageal varices and portal hypertensive gastropathy
• Esophagitis
• Gastritis
• GI infections
• Hemorrhoids
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Peptic ulcer

Stool guaiac testing is sometimes used to screen for colon cancer. By itself, it is not a reliable test for this purpose.

Other, non-GI-related causes of positive guaiac test may include:

• Nosebleed
• Coughing up blood

Abnormal tests require follow-up with your doctor. In many cases, however, no explanation for the abnormal result is found.

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Stool guaiac test Overview

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Stool guaiac test Risks

Review Date: 11/12/2010
Reviewed By: Todd Eisner, MD, Private practice specializing in Gastroenterology, Boca Raton, FL. Clinical Instructor, Florida Atlantic University School of Medicine. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)