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culture of sputum

Indications: - lower respiratory tract infection Specimen: 1) sputum (not saliva) 2) minimum volume: 2 mL 3) container: -> commercially available sputum collection system or similar sterile container with a screw cap Notes: 1) Gram stain noting numbers of epithelial cells (saliva) vs neutrophils (purulent sputum) is part of initial evaluation 2) > 10 epithelial cells/low power field suggests oropharyngeal specimen 3) < 10 epithelial cells per low power field (LPF) & leukocytes > 25 per LPF plus the findings of bacteria on gram stain support a diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia [2] & the need for sputum culture 4) antibiotic senstitivity is performed on the cultured organism(s)

Related

sputum (phlegm) sputum gram stain

General

culture of body fluid

References

  1. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 13th ed. Isselbacher et al (eds), McGraw-Hill Inc. NY, 1994, pg 491
  2. Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 15, American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 2009