How to collect sputum for analysis

What is sputum and why donate it

Phlegm is a thick mucus produced in the lungs. She can detain foreign particles such as soot or infectious agents. The cells lining the airways have cilia that push phlegm towards the mouth so that a person can cough it up and thus clear the lungs and bronchi.

Sputum analysis most often appoint, to:

• find out which bacteria or fungi caused the infection and determine their sensitivity to drugs;
• evaluate the effectiveness of treatment;
• determine if a chronic infection has worsened;
• detect the presence of cancer cells.

The analysis should be taken if you suspect pneumonia, bronchitis, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis and other conditions.

How to collect sputum for analysis

For the result to be accurate, it is important collect sputum, not saliva. You can focus on the appearance: sputum is thick and sticky, saliva is transparent and watery. It will not work out one for the other, the analysis will have to be retaken. So it's better the first time

do everything is correct.

This collection method is prescribed for adults and children over 6 years of age. In those who are younger, sputum usually suck off from the nasopharynx after inhalation.

Prepare a glass

You can buy a sputum collection container at a pharmacy or get it from a doctor. This is usually a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. It must be sterile, it cannot be opened in advance. Baby food jars and other improvised containers are not suitable for these purposes.

brush your teeth

When you wake up, before eating or drinking, you need to brush your teeth and rinse your mouth with water so that bacteria do not accidentally get into the analysis. For more accurate results, do not use mouthwash.

Open the window

If possible, collect sputum in the fresh air or at least by the window. In hospitals, there are special rooms for this procedure. This is a precaution to avoid accidentally contaminating surfaces around you while you are coughing. Sputum may contain, for example, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and care should be taken to protect others from the pathogen.

Collect sputum

To collect phlegm and not saliva, you should take a very deep breath, hold your breath for 5 seconds and exhale slowly. Then you need another deep breath, after which you need to cough hard. Continue until the phlegm enters your mouth, and spit as much as you can into the container. Usually a few milliliters is enough, but if it seems to you that it turned out a little, try again.

Pass the cup

Close the lid tightly, write the name and date on the container and pass it on to the medical staff. Countsthat sputum should not be stored for more than 2 hours at room temperature. Therefore, it is better to hurry up and take the analysis to the laboratory immediately after collection. If this is not possible, you can leave the glass overnight in the refrigerator, but not in the freezer - then the period will increase to 24 hours.

What to do if you can't cough up mucus

Sometimes sputum May be so viscous that it is not coughed up. In such cases, it is worth trying to make it more liquid. On the eve of the analysis, you should drink plenty of water, and immediately before collection, make a warm inhalation. To do this, turn on hot water in the bathroom and close the door tightly. If you sit a little in such an impromptu steam room, then it will be easier to collect sputum. Drink special expectorants it is forbiddenbecause the accuracy of the analysis result is reduced.

If there is a health worker nearby when taking the test, he can knock on the back - it also works. And if there is no one from the experts, you can stretch in different directions and relax, and then try again. Ordinary people should not be asked for help, especially if tuberculosis is suspected: it is better to collect sputum away from them.