A creatinine test reveals important information about your kidneys.
Creatinine is a chemical waste product that's produced by your muscle metabolism and to a smaller extent by eating meat. Healthy kidneys filter creatinine and other waste products from your blood. The filtered waste products leave your body in your urine.
If your kidneys aren't functioning properly, an increased level of creatinine may accumulate in your blood. A serum creatinine test measures the level of creatinine in your blood and gives you an estimate of how well your kidneys filter (glomerular filtration rate). A creatinine urine test can measure creatinine in your urine.
The fecal occult blood test (FOBT) is a lab test used to check stool samples for hidden (occult) blood.
Occult blood in the stool may indicate colon cancer or polyps in the colon or rectum — though not all cancers or polyps bleed.
Typically, occult blood is passed in such small amounts that it can be detected only through the chemicals used in a fecal occult blood test.
If blood is detected through a fecal occult blood test, additional tests may be needed to determine the source of the bleeding. The fecal occult blood test can only detect the presence or absence of blood — it doesn't indicate potential sources of bleeding.
