Researchers: Avoid Eating Blood Sausage Prior to Hemoccult Test

People should abstain from eating blood sausage, or "black pudding" as it is known in England, before being screened for colorectal cancer, according to British researchers, because it can interfere with screening tests used to identify blood in the stool.

Dr. Neil Haslam and colleagues reported in the British Medical Journal on a study of the effect of eating blood sausage on fecal occult blood testing, also called hemoccult testing.

The hemoccult test is widely used to detect gastrointestinal bleeding. People testing positive then have a colonoscopy.

The researchers conducted their study in Bury, "black pudding capital of the world." The 10 healthy volunteers, each with no family history of colorectal cancer, completed a hemoccult test requiring six specimens to be taken from stools passed over three consecutive days.

"Participants then eagerly ate a locally produced 7-ounce black pudding and then had a further hemoccult test," they reported.

Initially, all volunteers returned negative tests, but after consumption of black pudding, four people tested positive.

"Gourmets should be advised to avoid black pudding (or presumably any other form of blood sausage) during screening for fecal occult blood," the researchers concluded.

Other Sources: British Medical Journal