Hemoccult & Diet

A hemoccult is a paper slide test designed to look for traces of blood in your stool. It is used to help screen for disorders in your intestine such as colon cancer. The hemoccult test should collect stool samples from three different days and require you to follow a strict diet to achieve accurate results.

The Diet

The change in your diet should begin three days before you plan to start your hemoccult test and you must follow the diet until you have collected all three stool samples. It should be a well-balanced diet, including high fiber found in bran cereals, fruits and vegetables. You can have small amounts of turkey, chicken and tuna, but you should avoid all red meat.

Vitamin C

Avoid foods high in vitamin C in the days prior to and during your test. Vitamin C can interfere with the chemical reaction that causes the hemoccult to change color in the presence of blood, according to Lab Tests Online. This can result in a false negative result. Foods high in vitamin C such as citrus fruits and orange juice should not be consumed for the three days prior to testing and until the test is complete.

Other Foods to Avoid

A chemical reaction is what causes the hemoccult to work, causing a color change when blood is present in the stool sample, according to Lab Tests Online. Unfortunately, certain foods have the ability to cause a similar chemical reaction. This color change will then occur, even if there is no sign of blood, resulting in a false positive. Foods such as red meats, broccoli, turnips, mushrooms, cauliflower, apples and oranges can cause this false positive and must be avoided in the three days prior to and during the test.

Medications and Vitamins

Certain medications and vitamin supplements can also affect the hemoccult results. For seven days prior to your test, you should avoid non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, aspirin and naproxen. You can take acetaminophen in their place for pain as needed. Stop vitamin C supplements over 250 mg daily for the three days prior to and throughout the hemoccult testing.

The Test

When your physician orders you to perform the hemoccult, you will be given the collecting cards, applicator sticks and a flushable collection tissue or container. When you plan to collect a sample, write your name, date and time on the outside of the collection card. Open the test area and prepare to collect the sample. Place the collection tissue or stool container in your toilet as directed. Once you have your stool sample, use the applicator stick to take a sample from one area of the stool and apply it to the first section of the card. Reuse the applicator to take another sample from a different area of the stool sample for the second section of the card. Do this for three different days. Make sure that your hemoccult cards are returned to your physician or laboratory as soon as the test is complete.