culture of sputum

Indications

• lower respiratory tract infection

Specimen

• sputum (not saliva)
• minimum volume: 2 mL
• container:
  • commercially available sputum collection system or similar sterile container with a screw cap

Notes

• Gram stain noting numbers of epithelial cells (saliva) vs neutrophils (purulent sputum) is part of initial evaluation
• > 10 epithelial cells/low power field suggests oropharyngeal specimen
• < 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 & the need for sputum culture
• antibiotic senstitivity is performed on the cultured organism(s)

More general terms

• culture of body fluid

Additional terms

• sputum (phlegm)
• sputum gram stain