Every adult knows that if there is blood in the stool, then this is a symptom of a disease that can be life-threatening. If such a pathology is found, immediately consult a doctor. There are many diagnostic methods that detect hidden bleeding, one of which is fecal analysis.
Why donate feces for occult blood
Some diseases of the digestive system occur asymptomatically in the first stages. However, blood particles can be found in feces even at the beginning of pathology development through research. Their dimensions are very small, so sometimes it is impossible to notice even under a microscope. At the slightest suspicion of the occurrence of certain diseases, doctors send the patient to take a fecal occult blood test. Such a study is conducted to identify bleeding from the following digestive organs:
- liver;
- intestines;
- spleen;
- stomach;
- rectum.
How to properly prepare for the delivery of the
analysis In order for the analysis on latent blood in the stool to be reliable, it is necessary to prepare correctly for its delivery. First of all, on the eve of taking the material, you can not do enemas, and the emptying process should be natural. Women during menstruation should refrain from conducting an analysis. Before the procedure for three or four days should not do any radiographic research. On the eve of the analysis it is forbidden to brush your teeth, because if the smallest pieces of blood get into the digestive tract from the damaged gums, the results will be distorted.
Diet before the analysis of feces for latent blood
Before the study, a patient is assigned a three-day diet. The essence of it - adding to the daily diet of potatoes, butter, boiled eggs, dairy products, cereals. To collect feces for occult blood was effective, we must completely abandon the following products:
- liver;
- fish;
- meat;
- beet;
- white beans;
- horseradish;
- green vegetables;
- spinach;
- tomatoes;
- sweet pepper;
- blueberry;
- apples;
- grenades.
Refusal to take medication
It is necessary to refuse not only certain products before taking the analysis of feces for hidden blood, but also from the use of medicines containing iron. It is sulfuric acid barium and bismuth. They are able to color feces in an unnecessary color for analysis. Also, you should not take any laxatives that affect intestinal peristalsis and acetylsalicylic acid( aspirin).
How to collect a stool test
The study of feces for concealed blood involves the collection of material, but no special recommendations are required. A set is put in a sterile container. The feces must be collected in the morning, and delivered to the laboratory or diagnostic center no later than 3 hours after emptying. The adequacy of the final results depends on how correctly the preparation for the analysis was made. How correctly to hand over a feces on the latent blood:
- in the morning urinate, that the feces did not contain impurities of urine;
- carefully clean the genitals;
- collect the stool using a bedpan;
- with a trowel, gently transfer the material into a clean container.
How much feces need to be analyzed for
When preparation for the analysis of faeces for occult blood is carried out, it is not difficult to collect the material. For this laboratory study, a very small amount of feces is needed. In pharmacies, you can buy special plastic containers for these purposes. Fill this jar should not more than a third( 10-12 ml).If the material can not be delivered to the laboratory at once, it can be stored for a day in a refrigerator or a cold place at t from +6 ° C and below.
Stool examination
A large-scale task is performed by a blood test in relation to latent bleeding of various parts of the gastrointestinal tract. A special chemical reagent is used for testing, which reacts to the minimum level of hemoglobin, including in animal meat, eaten the day before. Abundant bleeding is visible with the naked eye, because the color of emptying drastically changes. Scarlet blood characterizes the pathology of the colon or rectum. The tarry consistency of black color shows a problem in the esophagus, stomach or small intestine.
In less large-scale disorders of the gastrointestinal mucosa, the color and consistency of the collected material do not change. The presence of red blood cells is established through microscopic examination. For the diagnosis of bleeding, screening tests are used that help to identify asymptomatic diseases. Most clinics use a sensitive guaiac test. Her reactions to the detection of pathology work due to the properties of hemoglobin, all oxidative processes accelerate.
During the analysis, special stools are applied to special filtered paper, then guaiac reagent, hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid are applied. If the concentration of hemoglobin is less than 2 mg per 1 mg of feces, the test result is negative. When the reaction to latent blood in the feces is positive, then even small metastatic and primary tumors may well cause it, so a blood sensitivity test is widely used to detect colon cancer.
Decoding of the results of the analysis
If, after examination, the reaction of the collected material is negative for latent blood, this means that the condition of the digestive tract is normal. When a positive result is determined, this means that the patient has chronic pathologies accompanied by mucosal damage. Such test result can show colitis, colon polyps, duodenal ulcer or stomach ulcer. Due to haemorrhoidal bleeding, severe stress during defecation, helminthic invasion, or ingestion of blood from the mouth, false positive results may be found.
Causes of latent blood in the feces of
When feces are found in the stool, it can be the result of the following diseases:
- Gastric ulcer. Bleeding is caused by a peptic ulcer or gastritis. Additionally, the patient may experience symptoms such as upper abdominal pain, heartburn, and vomiting.
- Inflammation of the intestine. Pathology includes Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis( nonspecific).Blood particles can be dark or bright red. In addition, the patient may experience weight loss, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain.
- Hemorrhoids. This disease affects the area of the rectum, anus. Hemorrhoidal blood has a bright scarlet color. Symptoms of the disease: itching and burning of the anal opening, painful sensations during defecation.
- Cancer. Blood is caused by a colon tumor at an early stage. Bleeding ranges from black( swelling in the stomach) to bright red( pathology of the rectum, lower intestine).Additional symptoms: severe weight loss, weakness, fatigue, changes in eating habits.