You might need to rinse your mouth with water first, and your doctor might ask you to skip a meal or stop taking any bacteria-killing antibiotics you’ve been given before the test. Your doctor will probably need about 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) of sputum to run the test. Try to spit out as much sputum and as little saliva as you can.
Full Answer
How do you perform a sputum culture?
A sputum culture requires minimal effort on your part. You simply need to provide the sample for the lab to test. You’ll be asked to cough deeply to bring up the sputum from your lungs. Saliva that can come up when someone is asked to cough is typically from the mouth and upper airways and isn’t useful for this test.
What is a sputum culture dish used for?
The dish contains material, known as a medium, that enables any bacteria or fungi present in the sample to grow. The dish is checked after a day or more to evaluate the amount and type of bacteria present. Most sputum culture tests also involve another test known as a sputum Gram stain.
What should I do if my sputum sample is unacceptable?
An unacceptable sample can be misleading and should be rejected by the laboratory. Culture of the sputum on blood agar frequently reveals characteristic colonies, and identification is made by various serologic or biochemical tests.
When would I be prescribed a sputum culture test?
Sputum culture tests may be prescribed when a respiratory infection is suspected. However, respiratory infections are common and often do not require a sputum culture test. In general, you are more likely to be prescribed a sputum culture test when the following conditions are met:
What happens if sputum test is positive?
A sample of sputum is added to a substance that promotes the growth of bacteria. If no bacteria grow, the culture is negative. If bacteria grow, the culture is positive. If TB bacteria grow, then the person has tuberculosis.
What can be diagnosed with a positive sputum culture?
A sputum culture test can reveal whether there is an infection in the lungs and, if so, the type of bacteria or fungus involved. It is often used in the diagnosis and follow-up care of people with respiratory diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis.
What does a positive sputum culture mean?
A sputum culture is a test to find germs (such as bacteria or a fungus) that can cause an infection. A sample of sputum is added to a substance that promotes the growth of germs. If no germs grow, the culture is negative. If germs that can cause infection grow, the culture is positive.
What are some conditions that can be diagnosed through a sputum culture?
But you might need to give a sputum culture if: Your cough suggests you have an illness caused by bacteria, such as bronchitis, pneumonia or tuberculosis (a potentially serious infection that usually affects your lungs and can cause you to cough up blood).
When is sputum culture treated?
A sputum culture is most often used to: Find and diagnose bacteria or fungi that may be causing an infection in the lungs or airways. See if a chronic illness of the lungs has worsened. See if treatment for an infection is working.
How accurate is sputum culture?
The sensitivity and specificity of the gram-positive diplococci identification in the sputum culture of Streptococcus pneumoniae were 60% and 97.6%, and the positive and negative predictive values were 91% and 85.3%, respectively. Conclusions Good-quality sputum with PM could be obtained in only 14.4% of all patients.
Which antibiotic is best for sputum?
Amoxicillin or doxycycline for 7–10 days is recommended as first choice antibiotics. The role of sputum diagnostics is often underexposed in guidelines on the treatment of AECOPD.
How can sputum be treated?
Humidify the air. Moisturizing the air around you can help keep mucus thin. ... Stay hydrated and warm. ... Consume respiratory health-promoting ingredients. ... Gargle salt water or use saline. ... Use eucalyptus oil. ... Take over-the-counter remedies. ... Try prescription medications.
Do antibiotics affect sputum culture?
The value of sputum culture is decreased by the administration of antibiotics before hospitalization, however in a substantial number of samples, Strep. pneumoniae and H. influenzae were isolated in our patients even though they had taken antibiotics before admission.
What is the purpose of sputum test?
A sputum test, also known as a sputum culture, is a test that your doctor may order when you have a respiratory tract infection or other lung-related disorder to determine what is growing in the lungs. Sputum is a thick substance that accumulates when bacteria or fungi grows and multiples in the lungs or bronchi.
Are sputum cultures required to diagnose pneumonia?
Sputum culture is the most common test needed to be performed when the patient has pneumonia. It is used to identify the bacteria or fungi causing the airways or lung infection. Sputum smear microscopy is the initial step taken in laboratory sputum analysis.
Why is sputum test necessary?
Why is a sputum test necessary? Your doctor wants to collect some of the sputum ("phlegm") that you cough up from your lungs. The laboratory will test the sputum for tuberculosis (TB) germs. Checking your sputum is the best way to find out if you have TB disease.
What is a sputum culture?
A sputum cultureis a sample of the gooey substance that often comes up from your chest when you have an infection in your lungsor airways. It is mostly made up of white blood cells that fight infection mixed with germs. Doctors use it to figure out what might be causing your illness, whether it’s bacteria, a virus or something else.
How much sputum do you need for a sputum test?
Your doctor will probably need about 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) of sputum to run the test.
What does it mean when your sputum is yellow?
It can give clues as to what’s going on: Off-white, yellow or green:This mean your sputum probably includes large numbers of infection-fighting white blood cells-- a sign of a respiratory illness such as pneumonia or bronchitis.
What is the body's sputum?
Why Your Body Makes Sputum. Your lungsare connected to your mouthby a passage called the trachea, or windpipe, which starts at the back of your throat. A few inches down, it splits into separate channels called bronchi, which funnel air from the trachea into your lungs.
Can a technician induce sputum?
A technician might be able to induce some sputum if you can’t do it on your own. If you still can’t cough up enough sputum, your doctor might have you breath in a mist of hypertonic (salty) water that induces a deeper cough to help enduce sputum as well as rule out tberculosis.
What is sputum culture?
What is a sputum culture? A sputum culture is a test that checks for bacteria or another type of organism that may be causing an infection in your lungs or the airways leading to the lungs. Sputum, also known as phlegm, is a thick type of mucus made in your lungs. If you have an infection or chronic illness affecting the lungs or airways, ...
What to do if you can't cough up sputum?
If you still can't cough up enough sputum, your provider may perform a procedure called a bronchoscopy. In this procedure, you'll first get a medicine to help you relax, and then a numbing medicine so you won't feel any pain. Then a thin, lighted tube will be put through your mouth or nose and into the airways.
Why is sputum color important?
The thickness of sputum helps trap the foreign material. This allows cilia (tiny hairs) in the airways to push it through the mouth and be coughed out. Sputum can be one of several different colors. The colors can help identify the type of infection you may have or if a chronic illness has become worse: Clear.
What causes yellowish green sputum?
Yellowish-green sputum is also common in people with cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease that causes mucus to build up in the lungs and other organs. Brown. This often shows up in people who smoke. It is also a common sign of black lung disease.
What does it mean when your sputum is not normal?
If your results were not normal, it may mean you have some kind of bacterial or fungal infection. Your provider may need to do more tests to find the specific type of infection you have. The most common types of harmful bacteria found in a sputum culture include those that cause: Pneumonia. Bronchitis.
Is sputum a phlegm?
Sputum may be referred to as phlegm or mucus. All terms are correct, but sputum and phlegm only refer to the mucus made in the respiratory system (lungs and airways). Sputum (phlegm) is a type of mucus. Mucus can also be made elsewhere in the body, such as the urinary or genital tract. References.
At a Glance
To detect and identify the cause of bacterial pneumonia or some other lower respiratory tract infections; to monitor the efficacy of treatment
What is being tested?
Sputum is the thick mucus or phlegm that is expelled from the lower respiratory tract (bronchi and lungs) through coughing; it is not saliva or spit. Care must be taken in the sample collection process to ensure that the sample is from the lower airways and not from the upper respiratory tract.
Common Questions
A bacterial sputum culture is used to detect and diagnose bacterial lower respiratory tract infections such as bacterial pneumonia or bronchitis. It is typically performed with a Gram stain to identify the bacteria causing a person’s infection.
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How to prepare for sputum analysis?
To provide a quality sample, the patient must adhere to the following recommendations before collecting sputum: Drinking plenty of warm water . Taking expectorants. Brushing teeth and rinsing your mouth before the procedure.
How long does it take to get a sputum culture result?
Sputum is an irregular discharge from the respiratory tract that comes off when you cough. To get a result of your sputum test, you may need to wait for up to three days.
What is sputum in the body?
Sputum is a combination of saliva and mucus, coughed up from the lower respiratory tract (trachea and bronchi) during expectoration. Coughing up sputum mostly occurs during infectious and inflammatory conditions of the upper and lower respiratory tract. In a healthy person, sputum is in liquid, transparent, and odorless form.
What is sputum culture?
Sputum culture is the most common test to detect and determine respiratory tract disease caused by fungi or bacteria. It helps in diagnosing pneumonia, bronchitis, tuberculosis, cancer, bronchiectasis, and lung gangrene. In the case of bronchitis and other inflammatory diseases, it is necessary to take a general sputum test.
Why is sputum examined?
Microscopic examination of sputum helps to identify the cause of disease of the lungs and other respiratory organs. It also helps to obtain all the necessary information about the provoking conditions. The color and consistency of sputum may vary depending on the disease.
Why is sputum culture important?
The sputum culture is a test used extensively in medicine since it is convenient to do it; it’s affordable and can provide a lot of useful information. The information it provides helps to identify the exact cause of respiratory infection. Sputum culture for general analysis is necessary for those patients who have a suspicion ...
How long does it take to collect sputum from a patient?
The first early in the morning, the second – after four hours, and the last – the next day. It is necessary to collect the sputum for tuberculosis in a separate room, with a normally functioning ventilation system or open windows in the absence of other people living together.
What is routine sputum culture?
Share. Routine sputum culture is a laboratory test that looks for germs that cause infection. Sputum is the material that comes up from air passages when you cough deeply. A sputum sample is obtained by coughing deeply and expelling the material that comes from the lungs into a sterile cup.
What is a positive sputum sample?
If the sputum sample is abnormal, the results are called "positive.". Identifying the bacteria, fungus, or virus may help diagnose the cause of: Bronchitis (swelling and inflammation in the main passages that carry air to the lungs) Lung abscess (collection of pus in the lung) Pneumonia. Tuberculosis.
What is a positive culture?
The sample is taken to a laboratory and placed in a medium under conditions that allow the organisms to grow. A positive culture may identify disease-producing organisms that may help diagnose bronchitis, tuberculosis, a lung abscess, or pneumonia.
What is sputum culture?
Sputum culture is used to diagnose pneumonia, bronchiectasis, bronchitis, or pulmonary abscess. It assists in the diagnosis of respiratory infections, as indicated by the presence or absence of organisms in culture. Sputum Gram stain and culture are indicated for all patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia.
How long to incubate sputum for tuberculosis?
If tuberculosis is suspected, an acid-fast stain should be performed immediately, and the sputum cultured on special media, which are incubated for at least 6 weeks. In diagnosing aspiration pneumonia and lung abscesses, anaerobic cultures are important. Equipment: Sterile, leak-proof container.
What pathogens are detected in sputum culture?
The most common pathogens detected with a sputum culture are bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella species. Fungi are slow-growing eukaryotic organisms that can grow on living or nonliving organisms and are subdivided into molds and yeasts.
Can sputum cause infections?
Only a few of them grow in humans, and when they infect the respiratory system, they can cause serious infections. Overall, sputum specimens are observed for mucopurulent strands, leukocytes, and blood and culture results. [ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5] The presence of normal upper respiratory tract flora should be expected in sputum culture.
How to collect sputum at home?
If you’re at home, your doctor may ask you to collect the sputum sample yourself. They will give you a sterile sample cup to use. Wait until you’re ready to collect your sample before opening the lid. The night before you provide a sample, try to drink lots of fluids like water or tea.
How to get a sputum sample?
To provide a sample of your sputum: Brush your teeth and rinse your mouth. Don’t use antiseptic mouthwash.
How long can you keep sputum in the refrigerator?
You can refrigerate it for up to 24 hours if needed, but you shouldn’t freeze it or store it at room temperature. If you can’t cough up enough sputum, try breathing steam in from boiling water, or take a hot steamy shower. The sputum sample must come from deep inside your lungs for the test to be accurate.
What does it mean when a sputum test shows a Gram positive?
If the test results from your sputum Gram’s stain are abnormal, it means that bacteria and white blood cells have been detected. The bacteria found will be Gram-positive or Gram-negative. Common Gram-positive bacteria detected by the test include: Staphylococcus. Streptococcus.
What is a sputum gram?
A sputum Gram’s stain is a laboratory test that allows your doctor to diagnose a bacterial infection in your respiratory tract. They may order it if you have symptoms of a respiratory infection that might be caused by bacteria. It’s the most common preliminary test beyond a chest X-ray for pneumonia and other respiratory infections, ...
What to do if you have a lung infection?
If you have a bacterial lung infection, they will likely prescribe antibiotics. This will probably be enough to treat your infection if you have a healthy immune system.
What to avoid before bronchoscopy?
They may ask you to avoid taking medicines that raise your risk of bleeding, such as aspirin and warfarin, the day before your procedure. Your doctor may also ask you to avoid eating and drinking anything the night before your procedure.