ArticleBMC gastroenterology2019
Use and abuse of fecal occult blood tests: a community hospital experience.
Article in BMC gastroenterology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Compliance and yield of follow-up colonoscopy after a positive FIT in real-life practice: a university hospital experience.BMC gastroenterology · 2025Article
- Faecal occult blood testing: a review of its use and common misutilisation.BMJ open gastroenterology · 2025Review
- Utility of Stool-Based Tests for Colorectal Cancer Detection: A Comprehensive Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Understanding the Utility of Fecal Occult Blood Testing in Hospitalized Patients With Suspected GI Bleeding.Cureus · 2024Article
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) is one of the diagnostic modalities indicated for screening patients for Colorectal Cancer (CRC). Despite being approved only for screening for CRC, numerous studies in the past have illustrated misuse of the FOBT. We examined utilization of the FOBT for patients admitted to a community teaching hospital.
methodsThe study was conducted at Saint Joseph Hospital, Chicago USA. A retrospective review of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) of patients admitted from January 2016 to December 2017 was performed.
resultsWe reviewed the EMRs of 729 patients who received the stool testing for occult blood (FOBT). All tests (100%) were carried out for purposes other than CRC screening. Anemia (38%) was the most common reason documented for carrying out the FOBT. Further, 88% of the tests were ordered on patients who either did not fulfill CRC screening criteria or had other contraindications for testing. Usage of contraindicated medication was the most important factor (58% of patients) that made the candidates ineligible for testing. A total 73 Colonoscopies were ordered for patients who received the test inappropriately with a resulting low yield (0.47%) of CRC diagnosis.
conclusionThe stool occult blood test continues to be utilized for reasons other than CRC screening. Majority of patients who underwent the test were not suitable candidates due to the presence of contraindications for testing. Unsuitable FOBT testing led to further unnecessary investigations.
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