Sputum is a substance comprised of mucous, foreign matter, and saliva that is found in the lungs or bronchial tree. A sputum analysis is a group of tests performed in a laboratory on a sputum specimen obtained from a sick patient. A portion of the sputum specimen is stained and put on a slide for examination of cells and organisms. Another portion of the specimen is put on an agar plate to see if infectious organisms grow and can be identified. Some of the sputum may be placed in special solutions to test for specific diseases.
Sputum
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SOURCE: Rothstein, J.M., S.H. Roy, and S.L. Wolf. The Rehabilitation Specialist's Handbook. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co., 1998.
The purpose of a sputum analysis is to help identify microorganisms that are causing respiratory disease or infection. The most common reason for obtaining a sputum specimen is to test for infectious tuberculosis. A sputum analysis, however, is also used to identify disease-producing organisms that may be causing pneumonia, bronchitis, lung abscess, or other respiratory disease. A sputum analysis may be used to identify conditions such as: aspiration pneumonia, histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, blastomycosis, mycoplasma pneumonia, plague, mycobacterial infection, and pneumocystic pneumonia.
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