Oral Iron and the Hemoccult Test: A Controversy on the Teaching Wards

To the Editor: Teaching rounds have been criticized for encouraging the passive acquisition of facts in place of analysis and inquiry. 1 , 2 The teaching of an approach to scientific inquiry may be improved by prompting the ward team to investigate a clinical problem actively on its own ward. We report the investigation of a clinical controversy that was performed by a single medical-ward team during a month-long rotation: Does oral iron therapy cause a positive guaiac test for occult blood in stool (Hemoccult)? This debate was sparked by a case discussion early in the month. A poll of the team members . . .