Sputum Culture: MedlinePlus Medical Test

What is a sputum lifestyle?

A sputum lifestyle is a check that checks for microorganisms or a further style of organism that could be causing an infection in your lungs or the airways primary to the lungs. Sputum, also known as phlegm, is a thick style of mucus created in your lungs. If you have an infection or long-term disease affecting the lungs or airways, it can make you cough up sputum.

Sputum is not the exact same as spit or saliva. Sputum is made up of cells from the immune program that enable battle the microorganisms, fungi, or other foreign substances in your lungs or airways. The thickness of sputum allows trap the foreign product. This will allow cilia (little hairs) in the airways to drive it through the mouth and be coughed out.

Sputum can be a single of numerous different shades. The shades can enable recognize the style of infection you could have or if a long-term disease has grow to be worse:

• Very clear. This usually usually means no ailment is existing, but massive quantities of distinct sputum could be a indicator of lung ailment.
• White or gray. This could also be regular, but increased quantities could mean lung ailment.
• Darkish yellow or environmentally friendly. This often usually means a bacterial infection, these types of as pneumonia. Yellowish-environmentally friendly sputum is also frequent in people with cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited ailment that results in mucus to construct up in the lungs and other organs.
• Brown. This often demonstrates up in people who smoke. It is also a frequent indicator of black lung ailment. Black lung ailment is a major condition that can transpire if you have lengthy-term exposure to coal dust.
• Pink. This could be a indicator of pulmonary edema, a condition in which extra fluid builds up in the lungs. Pulmonary edema is frequent in people with congestive heart failure.
• Red. This could be an early indicator of lung most cancers. It could also be a indicator of a pulmonary embolism, a lifetime-threatening condition in which a blood clot from a leg or other section of the overall body breaks unfastened and travels to the lungs. If you are coughing up red or bloody sputum, call 911 or seek instant clinical awareness.

Other names: respiratory lifestyle, bacterial sputum lifestyle, plan sputum lifestyle