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Diagnostic Tests - Fecal Occult Blood Test
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How long is it before the result of the test is known?

  • With the flush pad method, results are available immediately.With the more traditional methods, testing is performed in only a few minutes once the lab receives your sample. Some clinics or labs do this testing in batches and wait to process the test until samples have been received from several people. You should hear from your doctor's office within a week after the lab has received your specimen. If your test is positive, it means you have blood in your stool, and your doctor will recommend some additional testing to find out the cause.

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