Sputum quality: can you tell by looking?
BACKGROUND
Nurses are responsible for the collection of sputum samples for culture in most institutions, yet they receive little formal training on what a good specimen looks like.


METHODS
Three hundred thirty-three consecutively collected expectorated sputum samples and tracheal aspirates were examined to determine the relationship of macroscopic specimen appearance (watery, mucoid, mucopurulent) to specimen quality (good, fair, poor).


RESULTS
Of the expectorated sputum samples, 21% were watery, 65% were mucoid, and 14% were mucopurulent. Sixty-five percent of the expectorated sputum samples were good or fair, regardless of appearance. Eighty-seven percent of mucopurulent expectorated sputum samples were good or fair. In the remaining nonmucopurulent specimens, however, there were no predictable markers of specimen quality.


CONCLUSIONS
The only specimens that were predictably good were those that were mucopurulent yellow, yellow, or tracheal aspirates.
Laboratory Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104.
D J
DJ
Flournoy
L J
LJ
Davidson
D006801:Humans; D009726:Nurses; D011786:Quality Control; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000592:standards*; D013183:Sputum / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology