Question: What is the difference between occult blood and blood in the stool, and how should I code each? Answer: Occult blood means the blood is hidden to the eye. When a hemoccult test comes back positive for this hidden blood, you should use 792.1 (Nonspecific abnormal findings in stool contents).
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Blood in the stool is visible blood that may appear as either bright red streaks or tarry black stools. You should use 578.1 (Blood in stool) for this condition.