title: The incidence of occult bleeding per rectum in a general practice in Scotland: a study using haemoccult.
abstract: Haemoccult (Eaton Laboratories) was offered to all 405 subjects aged 45 to 65 years in a Scottish, rural general practice as a screening test for occult bleeding per rectum. Subjects contacted verbally had a compliance rate of 85.2 per cent and those by post 59.5 per cent--2.6 per cent (7) returned positive tests. Of these seven, one refused follow-up. Two had diverticular disease, one had haemorrhoids, one had a possible polyp, one had ingested aspirin and also had a few diverticula. In one patient, no cause of bleeding was found. The last two and one with diverticular disease were negative on re-testing. In general, the test was aesthetically acceptable to undertake for both patient and doctor and provided a suitable screening technique for occult bleeding.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D004241:Diverticulum, Colon / Q000175:diagnosis; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006484:Hemorrhoids / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009780:Occult Blood; D012002:Rectal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012606:Scotland