Friday, February, 10, 2012

Flushable reagent stool blood test

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Stool occult blood test - flushable home test; Fecal occult blood test - flushable home test


Normal Values

A negative result is normal.

Note: Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.


What abnormal results mean

Abnormal results of the flushable test may indicate the following problems (which are the same as with the guaiac smear test):

  • Angiodysplasia of the GI tract
  • Colon cancer or other GI (gastrointestinal) tumors
  • Colon polyps
  • Esophageal varices and portal hypertensive gastropathy
  • Esophagitis
  • Gastritis
  • GI infections
  • GI trauma or bleeding from recent GI surgery
  • Hemorrhoids
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Peptic ulcer

Additional causes of a positive test, which do not indicate a problem in the gastrointestinal tract, include:

  • Coughing up and then swallowing blood
  • Nose bleed

Abnormal test results require follow-up with your doctor.


Review Date: 02/16/2011
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. 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)