COMPARE of VALIDITY of TWO DIFFERENT FAECAL OCCULT BLOOD TESTS

The aim of the study is to compare the validity of faecal occult blood test, with a reference faecal occult blood test. This study is a methodological study conducted on the patients’ gaita who had suspected bleeding in the gastrointestinal system which were sent to Biochemistry Laboratory of Eskisehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine. A total of 101 outpatients who had suspected bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract were included in the study. Each gaita sample analyzed by a immunochemical faecal occult blood test used was performed, and then also analyzed by a reference immunochemical faecal occult blood test. The faecal occult blood test used in the biochemistry laboratory was accepted as a reference test. While 12 (11.9%) of the faecal occult blood test used in the screening was positive, 26 (25.7%) were found positive by the reference faecal occult blood test. While 89(88,1%) of the faecal occult blood test used in the screening was negative, in the reference faecal occult blood test, 75(74.2%) were negative. There was a good concordance between the two tests (p< 0.001). According to the faecal occult blood test in the reference, the sensitivity of the faecal occult blood test used in the screening was 46%, the specificity was 100%, positive predictive value was 100% and negative predictive value was 84%. In the study, the specificity of the faecal occult blood test used in the screening was high but the sensitivity of the test was low. The sensitivity and specificity of the tests used in the sceening should be high. There is a need to repeat studies in large sample groups to evaluate the faecal occult blood tes