The 3-hole testing procedure was introduced in Europe with the heavily- documented Guaiac test, hemoCARE. In the meantime, hemoCARE has established itself worldwide as a high quality test to detect traces of blood in the stool.

The 3-hole test method has contributed to the correct diagnosis in an increased number of cases due to the higher sample number. An optimal color development in the result field is achieved by using a modified buffer solution with a stable pH value. The use of high quality filter paper for the hemoCARE product has improved the readability factor of the test result. A well-documented study conducted among over 20.000 patients proves that the Guaiac testing method has been optimised.

The increased test field size allows the user to read the result more easily, even when the color is faint. The increased number of corners in the characteristic 6-cornered test field developed by CARE diagnostica allows for scientific observation, as reaction products accumulate particularly in the corners.

The Advantages
• Improvement vis-à-vis the problem of inhomogeneous blood distribution with the 3-sample test field
• Improved readability of the result due to the high flow characteristics of the filter paper
• Improved color development due to stable ph values

These optimisations lead to a significantly improved level of sensitivity at the same level of specificity.