The fecal occult blood test requires the collection of 3 small stool samples.
Tiny traces of blood in stool sample.
Usually the samples are a bit of stool collected on the end of an applicator.
In or on the stool.
Any details you can give about the bleeding will help your doctor locate the site of bleeding.
A fecal occult blood test is considered positive if blood is detected in your stool samples.
A fecal occult blood test is considered negative if no blood is detected in your stool samples.
The test looks for tiny traces of blood in the stool a way of screening people for colon cancer.
How the blood looks depends on where it is coming from.
However if the blood is mixed in with your stool this suggests bleeding might be from higher up in the bowel.
Blood in stool in adults.
If you have an average risk of colon cancer your doctor may recommend repeating the test yearly.
Triggered or worsened by.
It is important to have a doctor evaluate any bleeding in the stool.
Blood in stool usually looks like bright red drops of blood in the toilet bowl or red streaks on stool.
In most cases bright red blood indicates bleeding in the lower colon or rectum while darker red blood is a sign of bleeding in the small bowel or upper colon.
Appearance of blood in stools.
Check one or more factors on this page that apply to your symptom.
A negative test result means that no.
Usually the color of blood in poop depends on the location of the bleeding and in fact there is a lot that the color of your stool can tell about your health.
Although most bouts of acute diarrhea run their course you should call your doctor if your condition lasts more than 48 hours and you have a fever above 101 degrees fahrenheit.
Spots of red blood on the toilet paper drops in the toilet bowl or blood on the surface of your stool indicate a problem in the anus and lower rectum.
Find possible causes of blood in stool based on specific factors.
In toilet bowl or on toilet tissue.
Continued blood in stool diagnosis.
Drinking alcohol or caffeine.