Possibly Faulty Colon-Rectal Disease Test Recalled

SmithKline Diagnostics Inc. announced Wednesday that it was recalling 90,000 bottles of a chemical used in diagnosing colon and rectal diseases because it may have produced false negative test results.

It identified the recalled product as Lot 94 of a developer liquid used with its Hemoccult test for hidden blood in stool samples. The test is used to diagnose colon and rectal diseases, including cancer.

The bottles had been shipped to doctors and hospitals across the country since April 1, said Jeremy Heymsfeld, a spokesman for the firm, which is a subsidiary of the Philadelphia-based SmithKline Beckman Corp.

Home Test Not Affected

He said that the recall did not affect the company’s Hemoccult Home Test, which is manufactured by Menley & James Laboratories and is available in pharmacies.

Heymsfeld said that the faulty developer liquid may also have been used by the federal government as early as last November. He said the company does not believe the entire batch was defective.

Replacement developer will be provided free of charge so doctors can retest their patients, Heymsfeld said. He added that patients concerned about the results of a recent stool-blood test should contact their physicians.