II. Technique: Obtaining a Sputum sample
- Mouth should be free of foreign objects
- Remove food, gum, or Tobacco
- Remove dentures
- Early morning specimen is best
- Induce Sputum if necessary
- Nebulized Hypertonic Saline or distilled water
- Chest percussion
- Postural drainage
- Cough into sterile specimen cup
III. Approach: Special Circumstances
-
Tuberculosis suspected
- Sputum collected in negative pressure room
- Early morning gastric aspirate
- Bronchoscopy with Bronchial lavage
- Anaerobic culture specimen
- Transtracheal aspiration
- Thoracentesis
- Direct lung puncture
- Viral Culture Specimens
- Patient gargles and expectorates with nutrient broth
- Nasopharyngeal swab transported in viral medium
IV. Preparation: Sputum for Lab
- Fixation of Sputum for cytology (prevents air drying)
- Patient expectorates into jar of 70% Ethanol
- Spread fresh Sputum on slide and spray pap fixative
- Culture specimen transport to lab
- Sputum Gram Stain assesses sample for adequacy
- Anaerobic cultures transported in air tight container
- Transport to lab for immediate plating
- Aerobic culture specimen
- Bring to lab as quickly as possible
- Refrigerate specimen if transport delayed
- Consider washing specimen of oral flora
- Rinse several times with saline
- Discard supernatant (non-viscous Saliva)
- Tuberculosis culture
- May be stored at room Temperature for up to 48 hour
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Related Studies
| Concepts | Finding (T033) |
| ICD9 | 786.4 |
| ICD10 | R09.3 , R84 |
| SnomedCT | 207072005, 207077004, 158388005, 158392003, 145213001, 274708000, 167986000 |
| English | Abnormal sputum NOS, [D]Abnormal sputum (context-dependent category), [D]Abnormal sputum NOS (context-dependent category), [D]Abnormal sputum, [D]Abnormal sputum NOS, Sputum abnormal NOS, abnormal findings in sputum, Abnormal;sputum, [D]Abnormal sputum (situation), [D]Abnormal sputum NOS (situation), Sputum examination: abnormal (situation), Sputum abnormal, Abnormal sputum, Sputum examination: abnormal, Abnormal sputum (finding), Sputum examination: abnormal (finding), Sputum/phlegm abnormal, abnormal; sputum, abnormality; sputum, sputum; abnormal, abnormal sputum |
| Italian | Espettorato anormale, Espettorato anormale NAS |
| Dutch | sputum abnormaal NAO, abnormaal sputum, Abnormaal sputum/slijm, abnormaal; sputum, afwijking; sputum, sputum; abnormaal, Afwijkend sputum, sputum abnormaal |
| French | Expectoration anormale SAI, Expectoration anormale |
| German | anomales Sputum, Sputum anomal NNB, Abnormes Sputum, Sputum anomal |
| Portuguese | Expectoração anormal NE, Expectoração anormal |
| Spanish | Esputo anormal NEOM, [D]esputo anormal (categoría dependiente del contexto), [D]esputo anormal, SAI (categoría dependiente del contexto), [D]esputo anormal, SAI, [D]esputo anormal, SAI (situación), [D]esputo anormal (situación), [D]esputo anormal, esputo anormal (hallazgo), esputo anormal, examen del esputo: anormal (hallazgo), examen del esputo: anormal, Esputo anormal |
| Japanese | 喀痰異常, 喀痰異常ＮＯＳ, ｶｯﾀﾝｲｼﾞｮｳ, ｶｸﾀﾝｲｼﾞｮｳ, ｶｸﾀﾝｲｼﾞｮｳNOS, ｶｯﾀﾝｲｼﾞｮｳNOS |
| Czech | Abnormální sputum, Sputum abnormální, Sputum abnormální NOS |
| Korean | 가래 이상 |
| Hungarian | Kóros köpet, Köpet kóros k.m.n., Köpet kóros |
Ontology: Sputum specimen (C0444159)
| Concepts | Body Substance (T031) |
| SnomedCT | 119334006 |
| English | samples sputum, specimens sputum, sputum specimen, sputum sample, Sputum sample, Sputum specimen (specimen), Sputum specimen |
| Spanish | espécimen de esputo (espécimen), espécimen de esputo, muestra de esputo |
