Actim® Fecal Blood

A specific and hygienic rapid test to detect occult blood in feces.

Overview

A reliable and user-friendly test to detect occult blood in feces

Actim® Fecal Blood is an easy-to-use rapid test to detect occult blood in feces – a symptom of severe gastrointestinal diseases. The advanced and unique design of Actim Fecal Blood offers a very user-friendly and hygienic solution for both patients and professionals.

Feces don’t normally contain measurable amounts of blood, thus occult blood in feces is a sign of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. This may be caused by, for example, hemorrhoids, but it may also be a sign of colorectal cancer.

Actim Fecal Blood is intended to detect bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract even when there are no visible signs of blood in feces. The simple and non-invasive test procedure increases patients’ willingness to take the test. Early diagnosis of occult bleeding is crucial and can lead to life saving treatment.

Actim Fecal Blood in a nutshell

  • Actim Fecal Blood has been developed to allow rapid and accurate screenings of fecal occult blood.
  • No dietary restrictions are required before taking the test.
  • Actim Fecal Blood offers an exceptionally hygienic and convenient sample collection and handling.
  • This easy-to-use test gives results on the spot in just 10 minutes.
  • No laboratory resources are needed to perform the test.
  • The test kit contains all the materials needed to perform the test and it can be stored at room temperature.
  • Actim Fecal Blood is available in multiple package sizes.

How it works

How Actim Fecal Blood works

The Actim Fecal Blood rapid test is based on highly specific monoclonal antibodies that only detect human hemoglobin. Therefore, no dietary restrictions concerning red meat, or vegetables and fruits with peroxidase activity are required. As a result, the test can be taken at any time.

Thanks to its optimal sensitivity and high specificity (94%), Actim Fecal Blood detects gastrointestinal bleeding even before visible signs of blood in feces can be detected, and it helps to avoid unnecessary, uncomfortable, and costly exams.

The innovative leak-proof sample tube allows a convenient and hygienic sample collection – even at home. The sampling device automatically adjusts the amount of sample, which ensures that test results are always consistent. The whole test can be carried out without opening the tube cap. This guarantees a convenient testing handling for both the patients and healthcare professionals. Once the sample collection is done, the sample tube can be stored at room temperature for up to one week, which enables taking multiple samples on various days.

Key facts on hemoglobin

  • Hemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying molecule present in red blood cells.
  • It is released into the digestive tract when gastrointestinal bleeding occurs.

How it helps

How Actim Fecal Blood helps

The simple and non-invasive test procedure offered by Actim increases the patients’ willingness to take the test, and makes Actim Fecal Blood an optimal screening tool. Unlike traditional guaiac tests, Actim Fecal Blood does not interfere with food substances containing hemoglobin or peroxidase activity.

The accurate detection of invisible amounts of blood in feces is essential for early diagnosis and treatment. For example, the five-year survival rate of colorectal cancer is up to 90% in early-diagnosed cases, and it declines rapidly if the cancer has progressed further.

Actim Fecal Blood for a convenient test handling

  • Actim Fecal Blood has been developed to a rapid and accurate screening of fecal occult blood.
  • It innovative design allows an exceptionally hygienic sample handling for both the patients and healthcare professionals.
  • No laboratory facilities are required to perform the test or to interpret the test results.
  • Actim Fecal Blood allows an immediate access to results without dietary restrictions.
  • With this test, a timely medical attention can be directed to patients who need it.
  • Actim Fecal Blood reduces unnecessary, uncomfortable, and costly exams.

How to use it

How to use Actim Fecal Blood

Actim Fecal Blood kit contains all the materials needed to perform the test and it can conveniently be stored at room temperature (+2–30 °C).

Collect sample

Open the Specimen Dilution Buffer tube and take some feces using the sampling stick attached to the screw cap.

Twist the stick in different places in the feces sample.

Put the sampling stick back into the tube by pushing the stick trough the cone and close the cap tightly.

Shake the tube to suspend the specimen in the buffer.

Perforation

Use the sharp tip of the perforating device (dipstick) to puncture the perforation area in the bottom of the buffer tube then push the device into the tube until the stopper prevents it going further

Activate the test

Slowly invert the tube once and immediately place the tube on the table in an upright position.

It is important that the inverting movement is not too abrupt, a peaceful inversion is vital for the correct performance of the test. Also, the tube must not remain upside down.

Interpret results

  • A positive result can be read as soon as it becomes visible.
    Two blue lines = occult blood in feces, further investigation is needed.
  • A negative result should be confirmed at 10 minutes.
    One blue line = no occult blood in feces.

How to order it

How to order Actim Fecal Blood

Actim Fecal Blood test kits are available in multiple package formats. All test kits contain:

  • Dipsticks in perforating device
  • Specimen Dilution Buffer tubes
  • Test instructions for use

Separate instructions for sampling are available online.

Ordering information

  • Actim Fecal Blood 20 test kit | product code 30331ETAC
  • Actim Fecal Blood 10 dipsticks | product code 30361ETAC
  • Actim Fecal Blood 20 buffers | product code 30372ETAC
  • Actim Fecal Blood Controls | product code 30300ETAC

Actim® Fecal Blood Controls are intended to be used with the Actim Fecal Blood test for external quality control. The controls may also be used to demonstrate negative results and weak and strong positive results. The control set includes negative, low positive, and high positive controls as well as reconstitution solution.

Materials

MDSAP 13485 and ISO 13485 can be found here.