Table 2. Survey results before and after gFOBT (N=133).
DRE, digital rectal examination; gFOBT, guaiac fecal occult blood test; GI, gastrointestinal; INR, international normalized ratio
a Multiple reasons for performing DRE/gFOBT could be selected by survey respondents.
| Survey response | Number of surveys | Frequency (percentage) |
| Pre-gFOBT Survey | ||
| Number of stools in the past 24 hours | 97 | |
| 0 | 3 (3.1%) | |
| 1 | 34 (35.1%) | |
| 2 | 20 (20.6%) | |
| ³3 | 40 (41.2%) | |
| Last stool consistency | 110 | |
| All liquid | 27 (24.5%) | |
| Somewhat formed | 29 (26.4%) | |
| Formed | 54 (49.1%) | |
| Took bismuth subsalicylate in past 48 hours | 115 | 6 (5.2) |
| Number of bouts of emesis in past 24 hours | 121 | |
| 0 | 100 (82.6%) | |
| 1 | 7 (5.8%) | |
| 2 | 2 (1.7%) | |
| 3 | 12 (9.9%) | |
| Coffee ground or bloody emesis | 130 | 15 (11.5%) |
| First most important reason for performing DRE/gFOBT | 133 | |
| Black stool or suspected melena | 55 (41.4%) | |
| Decreased hemoglobin level | 32 (24.1%) | |
| Red blood in stool | 30 (22.6%) | |
| Suspected upper GI tract bleeding | 11 (8.3%) | |
| Other | 5 (3.8%) | |
| Second most important reason for performing DRE/gFOBT | 66 | |
| Black stool or suspected melena | 10 (15.2%) | |
| Decreased hemoglobin level | 11 (16.7%) | |
| History of GI tract bleeding | 16 (24.2%) | |
| Red blood in stool | 7 (10.6%) | |
| Suspected upper GI tract bleeding | 10 (15.2%) | |
| Other | 12 (18.2%) | |
| Third most important reason for performing DRE/gFOBT | 25 | |
| Decreased hemoglobin level | 5 (20.0%) | |
| History of GI tract bleeding | 4 (16.0%) | |
| Suspected upper GI tract bleeding | 8 (32.0%) | |
| Other | 8 (32.0%) | |
| Reasons for performing DRE/gFOBTa | 133 | |
| Black stool or suspected melena | 65 (48.9%) | |
| Red blood in stool | 38 (28.6%) | |
| Suspected upper GI tract bleeding | 30 (22.6%) | |
| Decreased hemoglobin level | 48 (36.1%) | |
| Examination of hemorrhoid | 3 (2.3%) | |
| Examination of rectal mass | 1 (0.8%) | |
| Distinguish from genital or genitourinary tract bleeding source | 2 (1.5%) | |
| High INR (or anticoagulant use) and possible GI tract bleeding | 7 (5.3%) | |
| History of GI tract bleeding | 23 (17.3%) | |
| Unstable vital signs | 4 (3.0%) | |
| Low platelet count | 1 (0.8%) | |
| Unexplained weight loss | 0 (0.0%) | |
| Screening for colon cancer | 0 (0.0%) | |
| Other | 8 (6.0%) | |
| Predicted gFOBT-instigated change in patient disposition | 130 | 66 (50.8%) |
| Predicted likelihood of positive gFOBT result | 133 | |
| No chance | 2 (1.5%) | |
| Slight possibility | 32 (24.1%) | |
| Fair possibility | 29 (21.8%) | |
| Very probable | 41 (30.8%) | |
| Certain | 29 (21.8%) | |
| Post-gFOBT Survey | ||
| gFOBT result | 132 | |
| Negative | 54 (40.9%) | |
| Weakly positive | 6 (4.5%) | |
| Moderately positive | 15 (11.4%) | |
| Strongly positive | 57 (43.2%) | |
| Predominant stool color | 126 | |
| Brown | 55 (43.7%) | |
| Black | 37 (29.4%) | |
| Red/pink | 18 (14.3%) | |
| Yellow | 9 (7.1%) | |
| Orange | 3 (2.4%) | |
| Other | 4 (3.2%) | |
| Amount of stool obtained for the gFOBT | 133 | |
| None | 6 (4.5%) | |
| Very little | 32 (24.1) | |
| Sufficient | 95 (71.4) | |
| Stool consistency | 125 | |
| Tarry/thick | 26 (20.8) | |
| Liquid | 57 (45.6) | |
| Firm | 42 (33.6) | |
| Presence of a hemorrhoid | 133 | |
| Yes | 13 (9.8) | |
| No | 119 (89.5) | |
| Unsure | 1 (0.8) | |
| Presence of a rectal fissure | 132 | |
| Yes | 0 (0.0) | |
| No | 131 (99.2) | |
| Unsure | 1 (0.8) | |
| Reported post-gFOBT results changed patient disposition | 131 | |
| Yes | 40 (30.5) | |
| No | 91 (69.5) |