Fecal Occult Blood Test

Date: November 7, 2017

Students’ Names/ID: Sarah Kassim – 201702221

Maysa Al Masri - 201701152

Naden Awad –201401165

Group Name: B

Course Title: Medical Parasitology

Course ID: MELS303

Section: 1

Parasitology Lab instructor: Dr.Ali Mokbel

Keywords: fecal occult blood, screening test, hidden blood, stool, hema screen
guaiac slide, hema screen developing solution, hydrogen peroxide, intestinal
bleeding, parasitic infections, tumors, polyps, positive, negative.
 Introduction:
The fecal occult blood test (FOBT) is a simple, inexpensive and most
frequently performed chemical screening test on feces. It is performed on
samples of stool in order to detect occult blood (blood that is not visible to
the naked eye) in otherwise normal-colored stool. Fecal occult blood
usually is a result of slow (often intermittent) bleeding from inside the upper
or lower gastrointestinal tract. The slow bleed does not change the color of
the stool or result in visible bright red blood. Therefore, the blood is found
only by testing the stool for blood in the laboratory. Occult bleeding has
many of the same causes as other forms of more rapid gastrointestinal
bleeding, such as rectal bleeding , Melina (black tarry stool as a result of
bleeding from the upper intestines such as ulcers) and for screening for
parasitic infections (such as intestinal Schistosomiasis, Hookworm
infections ). For fecal occult blood testing, several (usually three) samples of
stool are collected for testing. The reason for testing multiple samples is that
bleeding from cancers and polyps often is intermittent and only one of the
samples may show blood. As chemical testing, a solution containing the
chemical guaiac and an oxidizing chemical is used. If blood is present in the
sample of stool, the mixing of the solution with blood causes the guaiac to
turn visibly blue. The blue color is caused by the interaction (promoted by
the oxidizing agent) of the heme portion of the hemoglobin molecule, the
oxygen carrying molecule in red blood cells, and the guaiac (alpha
guaiaconic acid).
 Materials:

- Hema-Screen guaiac slides (are made up of electrophoresis paper

impregnated with natural guaiac resin and they contain both positive
(+) and negative (-) Performance Standards.)

- Hema-Screen Developing Solution ( Contains a stabilized mixture of

hydrogen peroxide and 75% denatured ethyl alcohol in aqueous
solution)

- Wooden applicators.

- Fresh collected stool sample.

 Methods:
1. Obtain a new hema-screen slide.
2. Lift the front flap of the slide.
3. Apply a very thin smear of stool inside oval “I” of a “Hema-Screen” slide
with a wooden applicator. Then, using the same applicator, repeat from a
different portion of the stool for oval “II”.

4. Close the front flap properly.

5. Wait 3-5 minutes to allow the sample to absorb on the guaiac paper.
6. Open the perforated section marked 1 and 2 on the back of the slide.
7. Apply 1 drop of “Hema-Screen” developing solution to EACH circle of
the exposed test paper.
8. Wait for 30-60 seconds.
9. Read the results after 30-60 seconds and before 2 minutes.
 Any observed trace of blue or blue-green on the exposed test paper is
positive for occult blood
 No change of color or a washed out green color at the periphery is
negative.

10. Add 1 drop of “Hema-Screen” developing solution directly onto

control area (between the positive and negative performance standards)
on the slide.
11. The results are valid if read after 30 seconds (Blue color appears in
the Positive Performance Standard and no change in color the
Negative Performance Standard)

 Results:
- Negative test result (No change of color or a “washed out” green color at
the periphery for occult blood.
 Analysis of Results:
Negative test result indicates that there is no blood in the detected stool
samples and there is no abnormal bleeding occurring somewhere in the
digestive tract. Also, the negative occult blood test shows no parasitic
infections (such as intestinal Schistosomiasis and Hookworm infections).

 References:
https://www.medicinenet.com/fecal_occult_blood_tests/
article.htm#how_should_fecal_occult_blood_tests_be_used

http://laboratoryinfo.com/fecal-occult-blood-test-methods-principle-procedure-clinical-
significance-and-interpretation/#prettyPhoto

https://www.medexsupply.com/popup_image.php?pID=50