What are types of sputum?
Sputum characteristics can provide much information….The Significance of Different Sputum Types.
Type | Characteristics | Associated pathology |
---|---|---|
Serous | Clear, frothy, can be pink | Pulmonary oedema |
Blood | Blood | Malignancy, pulmonary embolus, clotting disorders, infection |
How do you interpret a sputum culture?
Interpreting test results The results of a sputum culture test are primarily reported as normal (negative) or abnormal (positive): Normal or negative means that the test did not detect any harmful germs in your sputum. Abnormal or positive indicates that potentially harmful bacteria or fungi were detected.

What is the color of sputum in tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis (TB) If someone has TB, they may cough up green or bloody phlegm.
What is a normal sputum culture?
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.
Which bacteria causes green sputum?
Pseudomonas, Haemophilus, and pneumococcal species: May produce green sputum.

What color mucus is allergies?
One way to tell if you have a cold or an allergy, Dr. Acquino says, is by the color and consistency of your mucus. “A person with allergies typically has clear, thin mucus while those with colds tend to have mucus that’s thicker and greenish-yellow in color,” she says.
What color is a bacterial infection?
Green or yellow “sputum,” as clinicians call it, more often than not reflects a bacterial infection, whereas clear, white or rust colored phlegm most likely does not, according to the new study.
What colour sputum is normal?
Clear sputum: Clear sputum is usually normal, although it may be increased in some lung diseases. White or gray sputum: White or grayish tinged sputum can also be normal, but may be present in increased amounts with some lung diseases or precede other color changes associated with other conditions.
What does the color of sputum indicate?
The color of sputum or phlegm, which is the mucus and sometimes pus discharge expectorated from the respiratory tract, is often an indication of the type of respiratory disease that gives rise to sputum production.
What are the symptoms of a bacterial sputum culture?
A bacterial sputum culture is ordered when a health practitioner suspects that someone has a bacterial infection of the lungs or airways (American Association of Clinical Chemistry, 2014). Symptoms may include: Cough Fever Muscle aches Fatigue Trouble breathing Chest Pain 8/21/2015 Fenteng et al 2015 KOGH 5 8
What are Microbiological sputum samples used to look for?
Microbiological sputum samples are usually used to look for infections by Moraxella catarrhalis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenza. 8/21/2015 Fenteng et al 2015 KOGH 5 Streptococcus pneumoniae9 10.
What is an sputum?
Sputum is a substance produced by the respiratory tract which contains a combination of cells, foreign matter, and white blood cells. The color, consistency, and amount of sputum can be important in diagnosing a number of different medical conditions.