title: Screening for occult blood in selected patients. The potential for false-negatives.
abstract: Seventy-one patients presenting for elective hernia repair without gastrointestinal symptoms were screened for occult blood in their stools. All patients had stools negative for occult blood and were studied with proctosigmoidoscopy and barium enema. Polyps were found in 10% of the study population. The potential for missing polyps definitely exists if patients are selected for further studies only on the basis of tests for occult stool blood.
mesh_terms: D001466:Barium Sulfate; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000175:diagnosis; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009780:Occult Blood; D011859:Radiography; D012002:Rectal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012812:Sigmoidoscopy
chemical_list: D001466:Barium Sulfate