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What would a "guaiac positive" stool sample diagnose?

User IWizard
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Final answer:

A guaiac positive stool sample typically signals the presence of blood, pointing toward gastrointestinal bleed or other conditions that necessitate further medical investigation and testing for accurate diagnosis.

Step-by-step explanation:

A guaiac positive stool sample generally indicates the presence of blood in the stool, which may lead to the diagnosis of conditions such as gastrointestinal bleeding, inflammatory bowel disease, or certain infections or tumors that cause bleeding.

Diagnosis of such conditions requires not just the detection of blood but also additional testing, including microscopic examination of stool, immunoassays, molecular analysis such as PCR, and possibly imaging or endoscopy. Notably, the guaiac test does not specify the source of bleeding, and further investigation is needed to determine the exact cause of the positive result.

User JoJoeDad
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