PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - D. G. Craig
TI  - Tests for occult blood
DP  - 1975 Sep 01
TA  - The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
PG  - 698--701
VI  - 25
IP  - 158
4099  - http://bjgp.org/content/25/158/698.short
4100  - http://bjgp.org/content/25/158/698.full
SO  - J R Coll Gen Pract1975 Sep 01; 25
AB  - Cancer of the large bowel is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. The barium enema is still the most reliable diagnostic tool, but the selection of the proper candidates for this moderately expensive and time-consuming examination presents a real problem. To wait for significant symptoms of change in bowel habits, such as unexplained anaemia, is hazardous. Testing for occult blood has fallen into disuse in most general practices. This paper discusses some of the available techniques for this procedure which I suggest offer a worthwhile aid to examination of patients with possible alimentary neoplasm.