Assessment of chemical tests for faecal occult bleeding and correlation of results with presence or absence of anaemia.

Stools from 88 consecutive patients in acute geriatric wards were tested for occult blood by four common commercial methods. The Peroheme and Haemostix tests were found too sensitive for general use, the Okokit and Haemoccult tests being preferable. Positive tests were correlated with anaemia in 27 patients, iron deficiency in 26, iron deficiency anaemia in 15, non-anaemia in 52, non-iron deficiency in 43 and with absence of both in 27. Such testing has been considered unnecessary in anaemic patients without gastrointestinal symptoms.