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HelpTest Code HQ HemoQuant, Feces
Performing Laboratory
Mayo Clinic Laboratories in Rochester
Specimen Type
FecalSpecimen Required
Patient Preparation: Patient should refrain from ingesting red meat and aspirin-containing products (eg, Excedrin, Aspirin) for 3 days prior to specimen collection.
Collection Container/Tube: Hemoquant Specimen Collection (T134)
Submission Container/Tube: Screw-capped tube
Specimen Volume: 1 g
Collection Instructions: Collect random specimen from a single defecation.
Specimen Minimum Volume
1 g
Specimen Stability Information
| Specimen Type | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Fecal | Refrigerated (preferred) | 7 days |
| Ambient | 7 days | |
| Frozen | ||
Reference Values
Normal:
≤2.0 mg total hemoglobin/g feces
Marginal:
2.1-4.0 mg total hemoglobin/g feces*
*2.1-4.0 mg Hb/g is considered marginally elevated, but not clinically significant, if red meat, warfarin, or aspirin was ingested 72 hours prior to collection.
Elevated:
>4.0 mg total hemoglobin/g feces
CPT Code Information
84126
Clinical Information
Several noninvasive tests are available to detect gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. However, guaiac type and immunochemical tests for occult bleeding are affected by the presence of reducing or oxidizing substances and are insensitive for the detection of upper GI tract (esophagogastric) bleeding, where most clinically significant occult GI bleeding occurs.
The HemoQuant test is the most reliable, noninvasive test currently available for detecting bleeding of the esophago-GI tract. Unlike other tests for blood in feces, this test detects both intact heme and porphyrins from partly degraded heme. Additionally, test results are not complicated by either the water content of the specimen or the presence of reducing or oxidizing substances. Furthermore, HemoQuant testing is sensitive to both proximal and distal sources of occult GI bleeding.
Normally, one gram of feces may contain 0.0 to 2.0 mg hemoglobin; this corresponds to a daily loss of up to 2 mL blood. A demonstration of increased Hb in feces indicates bleeding in the alimentary tract (or ingestion of anticoagulants, aspirin, or red meat).
Reject Due To
| Gross hemolysis | OK |
Method Name
Fluorescence Quantitation
Day(s) Performed
Monday through Saturday