The Effect of Oral Iron Therapy on the Stool Guaiac and Orthotolidine Reactions

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
For 3-week periods, 34 prison inmate volunteers received in random sequence iron choline citrate, ferroglycine sulfate complex, FeSO4, and placebo. The total number of stool specimens tested for occult blood with both guaiac and orthotolidine was 1,697. Ten individuals were found to be "occult bleeders". Data from the remaining 24 individuals were analyzed for an effect of the ingestion of Fe salts on these tests. The data suggest that oral Fe medications do not give "false positive" guaiac reactions. Oral Fe medications may result in trace "false positive" orthotolidine reactions though this probably has little clinical significance. Constipation or laxative therapy resulted in a possible increase in positive stool guaiac and orthotolidine tests. The incidence of "false positive" guaiac and orthotolidine reactions in non-constipated individuals on an unrestricted diet was 8.7% and 4.6% respectively. Repeated stool guaiac or orthotolidine determinations are required to determine the presence or absence of occult gastrointestinal bleeding.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: